When smash hit “Lights” came out abroad in 2010 and later in the United States in 2011, singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding’s signature vocal style became a quick draw for the music industry.
Since this release, Goulding has continued to release music that is appealing across multiple genres. Transcending pop and into more alternative and indie sounds, Goulding’s wispy vocals seemed to work just as well at EDM music festivals as it did for more subdued home listening.
With her follow up “Halcyon” and extension “Halcyon Days,” Goulding delved even deeper into her heart and in the process established herself as a chart-topping queen of pop music. As “Lights” reflected the artist’s more victorious and upbeat pieces of her life, “Halcyon” brought out much more stark features.
Now, on the heels of the release of her latest album “Delirium,” Goulding has once again found the light. By far her most upbeat release to date, “Delirium” is a compilation of some of Goulding’s most pop-driven work. With tracks that sincerely impress and others that are more adequate than amazing, the resulting record is certainly a pleasing, if not terrific, release.
With tracks like “Army” and “Heal,” Goulding is able to provide listeners with the more lighthearted and soft music associated with her earlier work. On these tracks, Goulding resonates through intimacy. Despite longer runs showcasing eccentrically celestial voice, Goulding reflects her foundations of more singer-songwriter styles. Each track is enamoring and recounts stories of love and lost. On these, Goulding lays out stories that are appealing but not necessarily outstanding.
On lead single “On My Mind,” Goulding presents listeners with a uniquely composed and ultimately original track. Like the Calvin Harris-released and Goulding-featured track “Outside,” “On My Mind” is a track that is both hit-worthy and undeniably danceable. By offering the type of intensity necessary to expand her horizons, Goulding’s single is an earworm of masterful proportions. “On My Mind” offers the type of confident and playful beat that should necessarily come from an artist who has everything in the world and more.
On “I Do What I Love” Goulding self-love anthem of empowerment is a shouting march towards greatness. Unlike any of her previous releases, “I Do What I Love” offers up no intimacy. This is a track seems to represent a welcome release for Goulding. By casting off the hatred of others over her work, Goulding is able to shine her brightest. Unlike some of her more softer tracks, “I Do What I Love” is a rambunctious train that is sure to crash into the ears of listeners.
Other tracks in this vein of power include beats like “Don’t Need Nobody” and “Keep On Dancin’.” On the whistling “Keep On Dancin’,” Goulding balances the airy angelic vocals typically associated with the young singer, while conveying an assertive sense of command over her audience. Like a slickly-composed “Shake It Off,” Goulding uses “Keep On Dancin’” to represent the type of unrelenting prowess of an artist who has come into their own. On “Don’t Need Nobody,” Goulding showcases this type of self-love in a slower-burning melody that is both compelling and enthralling.
Filling what seems like an otherwise empty space, Ellie Goulding’s “Delirium” is able to blend multiple genres and melodies into a wholeheartedly thought out record. Each track is certainly acceptable, if not amazingly danceable and unparalleled. Goulding is an artist that captivates audiences through an undying spirituality and incomparability and on “Delirium,” this is not lost.
Rating: 4 out of 5
