The Swede has returned with a new production called The Nights, that is very much in keeping with the work that he started last year with debut album True. Is it able to bring something new to the table though, or is just more of the same? Find out below.
It would be easy to instantly dismiss The Nights as being an off cut from True. It is very similar to some of the tracks on that record, particularly the big singles. It's no surprise that Avicii wants to continue to use the formula that he established with his debut album, given the enormous amount of success he had with it. But it's refreshing to see that Tim Bergling, who you may recall is having a pretty rough time with his health at the moment, isn't standing perfectly still - he's shuffled at least a few spaces further forward, and has continued his quest to amalgamate every imaginable genre of music into his distinct brand of radio-friendly EDM.
What do I mean by that? Well, it's most evident in the instrumentation. There's the Country style guitar work that we're now used to, but there's also an accordion in the second verse, taking The Nights to new heights of weirdness, making it feel almost polka-esque. Fair enough, but even more confusingly, Tim's main synth of choice for the drop sound very much akin to steel drums - whether intentional or not, this gives those particular sections an oddly tropical feel.
What's impressive here is that Tim is able to masterfully juggle all of these elements and make one coherent song - the different genres blend seamlessly into one another.
The vocals are also great, and be in no doubt that they were written with the club/festival singalong in mind, as they're incredibly anthemic. Sadly, lyrically at least, they're also pretty generic. Hell, they even seem to 'take inspiration' (read: pinch) from one of the most anthemic dance tracks in recent memory, Swedish House Mafia's Don't You Worry Child - let's be brutally honest, The Nights' vocal lead-in to the chorus of, "My father told me," really isn't a million miles away from Don't You Worry Child's, "My father said," is it?
And though I've highlighted a few areas in which Tim has stepped forward, it would be fair to say that he does so with frequent backwards looks. Whilst his production is, as ever, immaculate, it is very familiar territory we're in here, and one can't help but wonder if people will soon grow tired of this style of dance music.
Nevertheless, let's not take away the fact that The Night's is still a very enjoyable track. No doubt that, if released officially as a single, it'll do very well, and I'm sure you'll hear it everywhere. But with it, you may experience a nagging feeling of déjà vu.
No real word on if The Nights is getting a proper release, but it compliments another new track, The Days, which has been previewed recently. It will probably be featured on Avicii's upcoming 2015 album, Stories (you can see part of the just-released album art above).
The Octopus' Rating: 5.5/8
Release Details:
Name: The Nights
Artist: Avicii
Label: PRMD
Release Date: Unknown
Purchase: Not Yet Available
Writer, musician, and all-round top guy. I set up Excited Octopus. Currently, I'm on a one man team. It gets lonely sometimes. But I don't mind, because I love you all.
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