Avicii – AVĪCI (01) EP
Avicii is finally back with his first collection of music since 2015’s Stories and his announcement of retirement from touring. The Swedish producer has been teasing new music all throughout the year, and finally announced the official release date merely a week ago. The six-track EP builds upon the unique acoustic-EDM hybrid sound he developed over his previous two album releases, masterfully blending elements of folk and house into a blissful array of dance-pop tracks. Fans of his hits like ‘Hey Brother’, ‘Wake Me Up’, and ‘The Nights’ won’t be disappointed, and others hoping for a return to the more straightforward EDM of ‘Levels’, ‘Silhouettes’, and ‘I Could Be the One‘ might also be pleasantly surprised. Overall, it’s a strong, well-written, and well-produced set of a material that will fit in well with Avicii’s legendary discography.
The EP starts off with ‘Friend of Mine’ featuring Vargas & Lagola, a melodic pop track that leans towards the side of folk during the verses but has a signature Avicii house drop with wailing synth leads and syncopated house piano chords. ‘Lonely Together‘ features Rita Ora and drops the folk elements, making for a more straightforward house track. Rita Ora’s chorus is memorable and the synth melodies are very catchy, and this will likely please fans of Avicii’s older sound. ‘You Be Love’ features Billy Raffoul repeats the formula of ‘Friend of Mine’, blending bluesy guitar and vocals with house piano and synths. The fourth track, ‘Without You’, features Sandro Cavazza recalls 2014 track ‘The Days’ and is a folk track with a sing-along chorus and a straightforward house drop. ‘What Would I Change To’ features AlunaGeorge and is a more subdued folk-pop track with catchy melodies and handclaps. The final track of the album, ‘So Much Better’, is actually a remix of a Sandro Cavazza track and is a chilled-out house track with a bouncy bassline, pitched vocals, and that signature Avicii piano.
From start-to-finish, the EP maintains a nice balance that will likely please older and newer fans alike. Although Avicii is retired from touring, he promises to “never stop making music.” His fans have much more to look forward to, as it was earlier announced that this would be a two-part EP. In the meantime, be sure to stream AVĪCI (01) on Spotify below or download it on iTunes here, and let us know what you think in the comments.
Avicii – AVĪCI (01) EP | Stream/Download
