You’ve probably been following him since his early days as an upcoming, 20 something, Swedish progressive house producer with a handful of tunes to his name.
Come 2011, and he took the world by storm with his collaboration with mentor Sebastian Ingrosso to give you ‘Calling’, later known as ‘Calling (Lose My Mind)’ with One Republic’s Ryan Tedder. Having cemented his place in the elite league of dance music superstars at an early age, Alessandro Lindblad, better known as Alesso, began touring the world, with regular appearances at the major dance music festivals, especially in the United States.
Hotly anticipated as the next big thing, Alesso further promoted his cause by gaining a larger following with each single. Tracks like ‘Clash’ and ‘Raise Your Head’ further established his abilities as a diverse producer with his penchant for hard hitting, gritty basslines and not one to shy away from his experimental prowess, he was now a favourite amongst the fans and touted as the best of his generation, alongside fellow swede Avicii.
Following collaborations with Dirty South (City Of Dreams) and his own vocal hit ‘Years’ with Matthew Koma, Alesso’s mainstream proximity was imminent. Having already gained sufficient radio support, Alesso’s crossover was rightly predicted, although his production quality or his love for electro infused house did not deteriorate. With a highly successful discography, the fans were of course anxious for a full length album.
True to the practice adopted by his fellow Swedish mentors and former members of the Swedish House Mafia, Alesso, delivered new music albeit on rare occasions, with his firm belief of quality over quantity, and very rightly so.
The trail to ‘Forever’ began after signing with Def Jam Recordings in 2014. With the release date yet undeclared, nothing less than a full collection of hits was expected of Alesso, more so with mysterious previews appearing in his sets on a regular basis.
‘Forever’ embodies the euphoric and signature progressions that Alesso does best, along with a star studded lineup of collaborations. Although dominated by vocal driven emotional tracks with a perfect combination of uplifting melodies, ‘Forever’ includes Alesso’s grittier side with the edgy electro bangers.
‘Tear The Roof Up’, a regular ID then in his sets, premiered at Ultra Music Festival, is an acclaimed progressive hitter with groovy transitions and a riveting melody. Definitely one of the highlights of the album!
His latest intro at Ultra Music Festival 2015 was the talk of the festival, which later came to be known as ‘Profondo’, also the intro single from the album. Packed with complex introductions and gritty wobbles and growls, Profondo plays a perfect host as the albums opener, paving the way for the way forward.
Another electro monster, following Profondo is the dynamic ‘Payday’, another regular opener in his sets. Inspired from his raw beginnings and past electro exploits, Payday gracefully introduces the listener to an alternate dimension to the album.
‘Forever’ also includes some of the previous smash hits, from the swede that ruled the charts for days. The tracks include Under Control with Dance music superstar Calvin Harris and Hurts, along with the worldwide chartbuster ‘Heroes’ with fellow Swede, Tove Lo and the hard to ignore, everyone’s favourite ‘If I Lose Myself’, and Alesso rendition of One Replublic.
Our favourite from the album, ‘Sweet Escape’ with Sirena is perhaps the best vocal pop crossover tune we’ve heard in a long time. Likewise, ‘Scars’ with Ryan Tedder and ‘If It Wasn’t For You’ are the hidden gems we’ve been waiting for all this while, previously being one of the most awaited ID’s. The pop fusion is the middle ground between the spectrum of Alesso’s abilities. The balance of styles is properly represented in ‘In My Blood’ popularly known as the Losing My Religion ID in the past, and the radio favourite ‘Cool’, for which Alesso donned the actors role in front of the camera for a highly amusing yet appealing music video.
The only mid tempo track comes in the form of ‘Destinations’ which is a feel good, catchy tune with artistic diversity and a healthy dose of feels.
The wide range of offerings and the finely crafted riffs, is a firm testament of Alesso’s musicianship. Still in his early years, Alesso’s radio conquering abilities may well have gained a major boost with the album. ‘Forever’ may well be the first of his many works, but Alesso certainly deserves to start out near the top.
You can purchase the album here.
