One of my most anticipated albums of the fall is almost here! Ellie Goulding, hot off the success of Lights this summer, is back this fall with her second studio album, Halcyon, and I have the first listen. Check it out!
1. Don't Say a Word - The song has a tribal feel to it and it's an energetic start to the album. The first minute or so is a bunch of "ooh"-ing and very little instrumentation, before it jumps into the driving drum beat. It sounds like a Florence + the Machine song, always a compliment. It's just eerie enough to draw the listener's interest and gives a good indication of what's to come, although Ellie fans know that it is truly impossible to label her music.
2. My Blood - Ellie's personal favorite on the album, and it's not hard to see why. The verses are poignant, but understated. Then comes the soaring chorus, which features great vocals from Ellie and shout-worthy refrains. The instrumentation sounds light, but is actually quite heavy. It's clear this one will be a favorite among fans.
3. Anything Could Happen - The first official single from the album, it takes some time to get used to, but it's insanely catchy and danceable. While the lyrics are a little hard to symbolically decipher, they're easy to sing along to. It's a shame this song hasn't caught on at radio like Lights has, but there's still hope, especially with the full album coming out next week.4. Only You - The pulsating drums drive the beginning of this song and it sounds a lot different than the beginning of this album. This one is definitely one to dance to. The pounding piano during the chorus reminds me a bit of the piano from Rolling in the Deep, and it's my favorite part. Ellie's vocals start off soft and then go to full belt by the end of the song. This one is more direct at the scorned ex unlike My Blood, which makes it just a little more fun.
5. Halcyon - This one has a signature Ellie touch on it. It could have simply been guitar and piano, but those light, airy electronic noises make it sound like an Ellie sound. Her shivering vocals sound great here. This one just makes you feel good, but maybe that's just the repeated refrain of "It's gonna be better." This one is just very light, it's a good change.
6. Figure 8 - Speaking of change, this one is the most drastic departure from the album. Before this song, I didn't love dubstep. But this might be my favorite song on the album. The verses are dark and intense and when the beat finally drops on the chorus, it's just awesome. It's a true jam and if all dubstep was like this, I would jump on the bandwagon immediately. Love this song.
7. Joy - Following Figure 8, we get a huge step back. Joy is a really reserved ballad that shows hints at growing, but stays right where it's at. Honestly, that's okay because it works really well by being understated and calming. And that's really what this song is: calming. It works being placed here.
8. Hanging On - When Ellie released this song as a promo single this summer, fans cried foul when they heard Tinie Tempah's rap verse, which didn't entirely mesh into the song that well. So it's a huge welcome that the album version is without Tinie. With that aside, this song is really freaking awesome and the dubstep incorporation is pretty cool.
10. I Know You Care - Okay, I take it back, this is the most reserved ballad on the album. A repeating piano line, some "ah"s and a simple chorus, that's all it takes. But it works. It's a pretty sad piece of music (it's currently being used in a movie about childhood cancer), but it's effective. It doesn't slow down the album too much.
11. Atlantis - A much needed pick-up. It's got an infectious "Where'd you go?" earworm and an easy beat that still doesn't make this song a ballad, but more of a mid-tempo jam. It's brighter than the previous track, which is much needed to make sure the album doesn't go tired.
12. Dead in the Water - A pretty sad and somber end to this album. Well, "unofficial" end. This is where the official version of the album ends, even though the official version also includes two bonus tracks, and the deluxe version includes much more than that. Anyway, this song is completely sad and kind of turns the end of this album on it's head. It leaves you thinking, though, so maybe that's what the idea behind making this the last track was.
13. I Need Your Love - Technically, this is Calvin Harris' song featuring Ellie Goulding, but it gets to be on her album a month before his album comes out. Hooray! This song could very well end up being Ellie's next big club hit and it's not even her own song. It's the most danceable song on this disc, but Ellie's songs are only really club-ready after they've been remixed. No remix needed here, unless that remix is an extended version because this song almost feels too short to truly enjoy. Hence, it sticks on repeat...alot. Catchy, love it.
15. Lights - Included for the US fans who worship this song, not much needs to be said that hasn't already been stated.
16. Ritual - A tribal beat to go with a song called Ritual? Coincidence...I think not. Anyway, this song is a jam, at least given that driving beat. It's a lot different from the rest of the album, perhaps sounding most like Don't Say a Word. It's interesting...cool harmonies, really cool instrumentation and Ellie's vocals are spot-on.
17. In My City - This is another up-tempo one as Ellie talks about what she loves about her hometown: it's like an upbeat Hometown Glory (shoutout to original Adele fans!). Still, this one is mostly pretty fun because it's got a good beat and it's easy to sing along to. It's easy to understand, though, why it made the deluxe version only.
18. Without Your Love - Another song with really cool instrumentation and a cool chorus ("Without your love, I'm getting somewhere"). I think the reason Ritual and this song made the deluxe version is because they don't mesh very well with the overall sound of the album. Still, it's a fun song and it shows Ellie moving on, a fitting end to an album.
Favorite tracks: My Blood, Only You, Figure 8, Hanging On, I Need Your Love
What do you think, readers? Have you heard the album and do you love it? I sure do! Let me know your thoughts and favorite tracks in the comments section below!
Evan
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