Swedish musician Tim Bergling, better known as Avicii, has (so far) had a short but remarkable career. Five years ago, he was just a small-time house producer who was creating club records. Now, with huge hits like “Levels” (2011), “Wake Me Up” (2013) and “Hey Brother” (2013), he’s almost a household name and stands at the forefront of the electronic music industry.
Released last year, Avicii’s “True” was undoubtedly a departure from his traditional, synth heavy sound. Incorporating acoustic sounds and pop vocals into the tracks, Avicii was able to seamlessly integrate the styles of dance, folk and alternative music to craft a superb debut album. His newest endeavor offers a new take on his 2013 effort. On “True (Avicii by Avicii),” Avicii has taken it upon himself to remix the nine vocal tracks on “True.” Bergling, armed with his signature synths and piano melodies, reaches back towards his progressive house-oriented roots.
The album opens with the ubiquitous “Wake Me Up,” featuring Aloe Blacc’s fantastic bluegrass vocals. The remix keeps these timeless sounds intact, but slows down the tempo on the track, swapping out the bright, uplifting melody for a softer, lower energy instrumental composition. The album then jumps to Salem Al Fakir’s rougher vocals in “You Make Me.” Cutting out the hard-hitting, bumping melody of the original, Avicii instead opts for a rapid, high-pitched synth line that achieves a similar emotional response to the original but with slightly less punch.
Next up is “Hey Brother.” Like “Wake Me Up,” this song also originally featured bluegrass vocals -- though in the remixed version, Avicii chooses to depart from these roots. But by replacing the deep bluegrass with a lighter sound, Avicii completely turns this track on its head. With a new singer and a gritty electro melody, the remix brings a far angrier edge to the melancholy vocals.
“Addicted To You,” unlike many of the other remixes, is injected with a more powerful melody than the original. Doing what he does best, Bergling perfectly integrates the sharp new tune with vocals, and the result is absolutely goosebump-inducing. The new versions of “Dear Boy” and “Liar Liar” similarly replace the energy of the originals with steady instrumental melodies that make the new tracks feel calmer and mellower.
“Shame On Me” is a welcome change, with a slow tempo and ponderous piano melody. This track succeeds in catching the listener’s ear with its meandering but memorable rhythm. In the second version of “Lay Me Down,” Avicii substitutes his signature synth and piano sounds for the funky groove of the first. Though it may not be considered his greatest work, he certainly puts a fresh spin on the vocals.
The final track of the album is “Hope There’s Someone.” Rather than transforming it into something completely new, Avicii instead chooses to tweak and rework it. Extending the track by a few minutes and drawing out the climactic buildups, he adds a slightly more dramatic edge to an already emotional song.
Ultimately, “True (Avicii By Avicii)” is a slightly more club-oriented version of his more poppy original album. With some songs featuring different singers or extra verses, Bergling seems to be using this record to test out ideas that he was unable to incorporate into past projects.
Overall, there are two ways to view this remix album. On the one hand, many of the songs sound far less perfected than their clean-cut originals. The mastering and mixing is less fleshed out, the synths occasionally hollow and the melodies are, for the most part far, less powerful. The majority of the songs end up sounding a bit weak, especially when compared to their beside the original tracks. However, one could argue that the remix versions are not intended to be judged against 2013’s tracks, which admittedly overshadow their successors. Rather, Avicii’s recent experiments with different sounds and styles only further demonstrate his commitment to taking musical risks. Indeed, though the album lacks the punch of the its original counterpart, it does explore some interesting ideas and strikes upon innovative sounds, making it a worthwhile endeavor.
