After my first full listen of Forever, I wasn’t too sure how I felt about it. At first. As a writer, and as someone who always tries to find the good in something, I made an effort to step away from it for a day, and then come back. The second and third time around, I discovered a lot more that I hadn’t picked up on during the first listen, and those elements enhanced my enjoyment a great deal.
Forever is a solid debut album from Grammy-nominated producer Alessandro Lindblad (better known as Alesso) and it is sure to bring Swedish house music back into the mainstream since the disbandment of a group like Swedish House Mafia (comprised of producers Axwell, Sebsastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello).
“Profondo” doesn’t waste any time bringing us into the fourteen-track album: a wide array of intergalactic-type noises traverse throughout the speakers. This leads perfectly into “Payday”, the first true house track on the record. A catchy melody follows the listener throughout, while the incredibly compressed side-chain beat keeps you moving. Refer now to the anthemic third track “Heroes”, which features a gorgeous vocal line by singer Tove Lo and a booming chorus that is sure to be the next soundtrack like Electric Daisy Carnival.
“Tear The Roof Up” brings a bit of a dirtier sound into the mix, a bit reminiscent of “Greyhound” by Swedish House Mafia. “Cool” brings the energy down a bit, creating a soothing atmosphere in the process. “Scars”, which features Ryan Tedder of Onerepublic, is sure to become the next number one single (seriously, have you ever seen this guy on a song that doesn’t break the Top 10? Damn.)
“Sweet Escape” keeps things moving along, before we encounter “Destinations”, the calmest track on the album. It’s really a gorgeous composition, combining light percussion with gentle buzz synths. The energy is gradually brought back up with “If It Wasn’t For You” and “In My Blood”. The eleventh song, “Under Control” could be yet another contender for ‘Electronic Anthem of The Year’.
Staccato synth notes intermixed with gentle acoustic guitar plucking make up “All This Love”. The album version of “If I Lose Myself”, one of Alesso’s most widely known tracks, helps bring the album to an epic close before “Immortale”. The latter honestly showcases an ability that Alesso has for making grandiose, non-dance tracks. Maybe we’ll see him compose movies one day? Regardless of what you think, the possibilities for him as musician and producer are endless.
“Heroes” was Alesso’s introduction to the mainstream. Forever is the showcase that proves he has what it takes to make a full album, and make it well.
This has been another Shameless Promotion.