The man of EDM is back, after the monster hit that was 18 Months, Calvin Harris is back with a brand new album. Calvin is one of my favorite artists around and has been since about 2007. He has come a long way since "The Girls" and I have been so excited to hear this album. Here is a rundown of all the tracks
1. Faith: Calvin sings this by himself and it's nice to see him using his vocals. It's a good mellow beat, there's not a huge bass or beat but it's still strong opener.
2. Under Control ft Alesso & Hurts: His first single off the album that is now a year old. I fell in love with this song as soon as I heard it. The mix of Calvin and Alesso is amazing and Hurts vocals just adds something so special to it. I still love this song 12 months on.
3. Blame ft John Newman: The subtle drums and piano riffs complement Johns voice so well. When the beat drops, the mix is just fantastic, no wonder it did so well in the charts
4. Love Now ft All About She: I have never heard of this artiest but I really like her voice. There are some nice violins but there is not a major dance track to the song, it's very different to what Calvin does.
5. Slow Acid: This is just pure music. It's really only for big EDM fans, but for the fans he made it for I think they will love it.
6. Outside ft Ellie Golding; I love love LOVE this track. I have not stopped listening to it all week. I love the violins and how Ellies voice works so well against them. I don't know what it is about Ellie and Calvin but when they get together they just make magic
7. It Was You ft Firebeatz: Another one for the hardcore EDM fans, this has more of a dubstep feel. I really like it though, it really shows Calvins talents as a producer
8. Summer: The monster hit was a hit for a reason, I remember finishing my summer exams and driving around a long stretch of road with my friends and it started the summer off perfectly. This song was perfect for the time of the year and the beat was so fun and upbeat, perfect tune.
9. Overdrive ft Ummet Ozcan: This is the song that will make fans go wild when they see this love, its a song that will get everyone on the dancefloor. I really really like this song and think it's pure EDM.
10. Ecstasy ft Hurts: Hurts adds another really strong vocal but this a pure ballad. There is not beat, it's very strange to hear this on a Harris album, I feel this belongs on Hurts record, more than Harris
11. Pray to God ft HAIM. The ladies vocals add something really slick to track, it is the perfect blend of their sound and Calvins, a really good combination from the two.
12. Open Wide ft Big Sean: Two Words, absolute Tune. Big Sean adds slick hip hop lyrics while Calvin works his magic. These two show how well the genres can mix when its don't
13. Together ft Gwen Stefanie: Gwens voice is so distinctive after all years, however there is no real magic between the pair. She suits EDM but this song it just not very strong and feels like a bit of a filler
14. Burnin ft R3hab: Another EDM track that brings two amazing EDM artiest together. I love it when Calvin does collaborations like this, it makes for a great tune.
15. Dollar Signs ft Tinashe: This was a good choice of Calvins part, he stuff sounds great but Tinashes voice is a bit forgettable. The music is great but the vocals are just a bit boring.
Overall:
Calvin did not disappoint he has brought in some great people to work. He is always trying new sounds and mixing commercial tracks with more heavy EDM work. On this album it's no different. Some music snobs say he is commercial and not a real Producer, however this album tells a different story. Calvin gives a good mix for his fans and this will enter the race for number 1 in no time, the question is, where can he go from here?
Best Track: Outside: Pure magic, Ellie and Calvin are a lethal combination.
Worst Track: Together. A big disappointment. Gwen & Harris should have been great but her vocals fall flat, seems like such a waste.
