Written by Megan LaBruna
Swedish DJ Alesso has been on the scene for the past few years working with the likes of Avicii, Calvin Harris and Sebastian Ingrosso to name a few. The release of Forever marks his first full length studio album. Fans of progressive house style and club music mixes will enjoy Forever.
The opening track “Profondo” definitely sounds like an introduction, slowly building up the noise and adding more sounds one by one until the track opens up into its main beats; eventually expanding into a full on choral-esque display continuing into the next song “Pay Day.” Alesso is known for his rave style and this opening tracks make that style clear.
“Heroes” was released as a single back in 2014 featuring Tove Lo. If you haven’t yet heard the song, you are probably living under a rock and should definitely check it out. This particular track focuses on the lyrics and the vocals rather than the beats.
“Tear The Roof Up” has also heard on the airwaves prior to the debut of Forever. It has received decent ratings on the dance charts, probably for its catchy repetitive hook and club style feel. “Cool” is another one that has been released prior to the drop the studio album and is my favorite on the album. It pairs great vocals from Roy English with a catchy beat that you can either listen to driving in your car or tearing up the dance floor.
I have always been a fan of pairing classical music with other styles. With “Destination”, Alesso finds a way to mix the spirit of a classic orchestra with the best parts of EDM in a song that is fully instrumental. It serves as a nice midway point for the album.
The collaborative song “Under Control” is another track many listeners will immediately recognize as it also appeared on Calvin Harris’ album Motion in 2013. While I love this song, it almost doesn’t fit in with the rest of the album because it really has a Calvin Harris trademark to it.
“All this Love” might be my second favorite on the album. The beginning starts slow and builds to a typical pop-esque beat for a few measures until expanding into a full-fledged dance song. The varying temp makes the song both interesting and allows for major crowd appeal.
“If I Lose Myself” is another one that managed to transition from the EDM scene to top 40 hits. Featuring One Republic, the song has been on the scene since 2013 and is a perfect way to start bringing the album to a close.
Rounding out Forever is the final track “Immortale” a fully instrumental track which emphasizes Alesso’s ability to blend classic instruments with synthesized sound all while creating an interesting dynamic of crescendoing sound and complementary backbeats.
With his first studio album, Forever, Alesso put forth a blend of the rave styles he’s known for with sing-able lyrics backed by orchestral runs and catchy beats that dare you to try to not dance along. He has been hailed by some as the younger embodiment of former group Swedish House Mafia. Based on the first few songs, I understand the comparison; however as the album continues I definitely felt Alesso came into his own, putting forth an album that is a nice mix of his predecessors, collaborators and his own unique style.
Rating: 7/10
‘Forever’ by Alesso is available on iTunes
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