Ellie Goulding Creates Her Best Yet with "Brightest Blue"
On July 17, 2020, Ellie Goulding released her first new album in five years, Brightest Blue. The short review? It’s a tightly produced contemporary pop record tinged with soulful sounds and rich with pristine vocals that captures Ellie’s wistful and lithe expression perfectly, and it was worth the wait. It was absolutely worth the wait!
The longer review will be packed with biased love for this fabulous creation.
I waited with bated breath to hear this album. In 2018, I read Ellie was working on something new. But there were no major updates for months; and all we got from her was the occasional collaboration track. I have loved Ellie for years, since I heard “Wish I Stayed” on Pandora. Her unique voice and smart songwriting always impressed me. I related to her emotional lyrics and adored her affinity for synth sounds. “Anything Could Happen” was my ringtone for five years. But some of her recent collaborations left me feeling...cold. They felt too commercial and overproduced, and I longed for her warmer and more intimate songs of yesteryear (a la Halcyon, 2012).
When Ellie dropped Delirium in 2015, I was a fan despite its obvious shift in sound to something more mainstream and club-ready. The songs were enjoyable and catchy. But I was critical of the production, and wasn’t sure I liked the way Ellie’s voice was processed. The vulnerability of her performance was traded for layered and aggressive lead vocals that felt thin and tinny. If there was one song that alluded to her earlier (and what I perceived to be more authentic) vocal expression, it was “Scream It Out”.
Regardless, I happily enjoyed songs like “Around U”, “Something In The Way You Move” and “Army”. I took my niece to see Ellie during her Delirium tour, and it was fun. And as Ellie bounced through her setlist, I realized I was still enjoying her Halcyon tracks more than anything else.
So when I read she was working on a new album, expectations were never higher. She hinted it was more orchestral, folksy and “getting weird.” That last comment intrigued me: Weird Ellie is often a very good Ellie. Then she announced a release date, teased with some imagery, and finally dropped a proper audio teaser.
This. This is what I’ve been waiting for!
Brightest Blue has everything I’ve ever wanted from Ellie. It’s Halcyon’s more mature and beautifully jaded cousin. The familiar anthemic and sweeping atmospheres. The sprinkled R&B beats. The classical and hip-hop influenced vocals. The catchy but unconventional and unpredictable arrangements. But perhaps the most notable and indeed most obvious album highlight is Ellie’s voice, which is the best it’s ever been. She’s obviously been working hard, refining her delivery and taming her fabulously wild riffs and abilities. Her strength often lies in sensitive restraint (“High For This”, “Explosions”).
The best part? Ellie’s voice is processed beautifully, with depth and color and ethereal presence. It’s nested perfectly when surrounded by rich strings, and placed front and center with delicate guitars.
In fact, the production of the entire album is polished and on point. Yes, there’s a lot of compression (especially on the more mainstream collab tracks of the album’s second side), and it’s obvious the album was mixed to win the ‘loudness war’. But that’s the norm these days, and despite the maxed out volume, there are moments of pause and quiet that are a welcome breath. The tenderness of Ellie’s guitar-laden ballads shines bright against the aggressive and snappy beat-heavy bangers. And through them all Ellie is honest, emotional, and convincing. She definitely sounds comfortable, even when she’s singing about lost love and regret.
It’s worth noting the bass and lower frequencies, and how they phase and move throughout various tracks. The panning and dynamic production is powerfully affecting, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the album’s production.
But as others have already pointed out, Ellie sounds best when she’s surrounded by softer atmospheres and sweeping melodies. In “New Heights”, an early favorite of mine, Ellie croons romantically with a quiet confidence atop a waltz of sweeping strings and punchy drums. It’s a wonderful profession of newfound self love that leads into the dreamier “Ode to Myself”. The album’s opener, “Start”, sees Ellie confessing a need to refocus and find her footing among a minimal arrangement of jazzy piano and heavier R&B beats. The song progresses nicely and builds intensity. I’m not a huge fan of collaborations, but the contribution from serpentwithfeet is perfectly placed here.
“How Deep is Too Deep” may very well be this album’s sleeper hit, reminiscent of Halcyon’s “Figure 8” with its stuttering beats and strong vocals. “Love I’m Given” is a gospel-inspired number, complete with choir and a particularly assertive performance from Ellie. “Power” feels very ‘80s (in a good way) with its synth driven arrangement (including its throbbing bassline), and reminds me a bit of earlier tracks “Anything Could Happen” and “This Love Will Be Your Downfall”, albeit more confident.
The true gems of Brightest Blue are at the end. Every album by every artist always seems to have a triad of songs that seamlessly flow and create this magical moment of musical perfection. Here, we have “Bleach”, “Flux” and “Brightest Blue”; which together close the first side of the album tenderly and earnestly. “Bleach” has become a favorite of mine. I’m picky about profanity in songs: It’s often used solely to shock or sound current or hip, and can sound forced. But here, the words are used delicately and brutally honest against the gentle acoustic guitar and sweeping orchestrations. Ellie doesn’t shy away from regret, and her honesty impresses. “Flux”, another affecting and expressive ballad, is already one of my all-time favorite Ellie tracks; her improved vocal technique and restraint in full display with a gorgeous piano melody.
But it’s the closing track “Brightest Blue” that shines, yes, the brightest. It soars with its choral vocals, longing strings and Ellie’s trademark falsetto. There’s a sense of urgency, release, and renewal. She even weaves some impressive staccato lyrics at great speed, with commendable enunciation. Already, this song ranks high on my absolute favorites. It’s the spark of brightness so many of us need in 2020.
About EG.0, i.e. the second side of the double album: It includes previously-released mainstream tracks, and Ellie describes it as her alter ego. Initially, I could take or leave these songs. I’d heard them before, and they left a bad taste in my mouth; mostly because I wanted something with more substance. And again, I much prefer Ellie songs sans collaborations.
But, you know what? These songs are good. Yes, they’re more aggressive, and Ellie’s voice doesn’t sit quite as comfortably among the arrangements. But they’re playful, memorable and catchy. “Close To Me” has surprised me the most. When Ellie dropped it, I dismissed it as a sellout (harsh, but true) and didn’t even listen to the whole thing. What I missed on that first listen was the aforementioned fantastic bass frequencies (that drop!) and the wall of sound chorus.
I also have a new appreciation and love for “Worry About Me”, thanks to the “Overture” introduction. The infusion of the gothic choir emphasizes the song’s classical influence, and showcases just how clever Ellie’s genre-crossing is. She’s quite the master of mixing various sounds and moods, and ultimately achieves a unique style in doing so.
Throughout, Ellie’s maturity as both a songwriter and performer are evident, and a welcome progression in what is sure to be a long and prosperous career. The intricacy of the arrangements showcases her innate musicality and she effortlessly captures emotion. She’s already worked with many artists on many songs and albums. She’ll likely continue her ascent.
To close on a personal note, I love this album and I’m predicting it will be one of my best music purchases this year. After several years of hoping to hear something with a lot of substance and thoughtfulness from Ellie, she’s gone and outdone herself. Halcyon was always my favorite, and this blows it away. It's a journey through emotion that pushes and pulls beautifully, and it's a welcome release.
The longer review will be packed with biased love for this fabulous creation.
I waited with bated breath to hear this album. In 2018, I read Ellie was working on something new. But there were no major updates for months; and all we got from her was the occasional collaboration track. I have loved Ellie for years, since I heard “Wish I Stayed” on Pandora. Her unique voice and smart songwriting always impressed me. I related to her emotional lyrics and adored her affinity for synth sounds. “Anything Could Happen” was my ringtone for five years. But some of her recent collaborations left me feeling...cold. They felt too commercial and overproduced, and I longed for her warmer and more intimate songs of yesteryear (a la Halcyon, 2012).
When Ellie dropped Delirium in 2015, I was a fan despite its obvious shift in sound to something more mainstream and club-ready. The songs were enjoyable and catchy. But I was critical of the production, and wasn’t sure I liked the way Ellie’s voice was processed. The vulnerability of her performance was traded for layered and aggressive lead vocals that felt thin and tinny. If there was one song that alluded to her earlier (and what I perceived to be more authentic) vocal expression, it was “Scream It Out”.
Regardless, I happily enjoyed songs like “Around U”, “Something In The Way You Move” and “Army”. I took my niece to see Ellie during her Delirium tour, and it was fun. And as Ellie bounced through her setlist, I realized I was still enjoying her Halcyon tracks more than anything else.
So when I read she was working on a new album, expectations were never higher. She hinted it was more orchestral, folksy and “getting weird.” That last comment intrigued me: Weird Ellie is often a very good Ellie. Then she announced a release date, teased with some imagery, and finally dropped a proper audio teaser.
This. This is what I’ve been waiting for!
Brightest Blue has everything I’ve ever wanted from Ellie. It’s Halcyon’s more mature and beautifully jaded cousin. The familiar anthemic and sweeping atmospheres. The sprinkled R&B beats. The classical and hip-hop influenced vocals. The catchy but unconventional and unpredictable arrangements. But perhaps the most notable and indeed most obvious album highlight is Ellie’s voice, which is the best it’s ever been. She’s obviously been working hard, refining her delivery and taming her fabulously wild riffs and abilities. Her strength often lies in sensitive restraint (“High For This”, “Explosions”).
The best part? Ellie’s voice is processed beautifully, with depth and color and ethereal presence. It’s nested perfectly when surrounded by rich strings, and placed front and center with delicate guitars.
In fact, the production of the entire album is polished and on point. Yes, there’s a lot of compression (especially on the more mainstream collab tracks of the album’s second side), and it’s obvious the album was mixed to win the ‘loudness war’. But that’s the norm these days, and despite the maxed out volume, there are moments of pause and quiet that are a welcome breath. The tenderness of Ellie’s guitar-laden ballads shines bright against the aggressive and snappy beat-heavy bangers. And through them all Ellie is honest, emotional, and convincing. She definitely sounds comfortable, even when she’s singing about lost love and regret.
It’s worth noting the bass and lower frequencies, and how they phase and move throughout various tracks. The panning and dynamic production is powerfully affecting, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the album’s production.
But as others have already pointed out, Ellie sounds best when she’s surrounded by softer atmospheres and sweeping melodies. In “New Heights”, an early favorite of mine, Ellie croons romantically with a quiet confidence atop a waltz of sweeping strings and punchy drums. It’s a wonderful profession of newfound self love that leads into the dreamier “Ode to Myself”. The album’s opener, “Start”, sees Ellie confessing a need to refocus and find her footing among a minimal arrangement of jazzy piano and heavier R&B beats. The song progresses nicely and builds intensity. I’m not a huge fan of collaborations, but the contribution from serpentwithfeet is perfectly placed here.
“How Deep is Too Deep” may very well be this album’s sleeper hit, reminiscent of Halcyon’s “Figure 8” with its stuttering beats and strong vocals. “Love I’m Given” is a gospel-inspired number, complete with choir and a particularly assertive performance from Ellie. “Power” feels very ‘80s (in a good way) with its synth driven arrangement (including its throbbing bassline), and reminds me a bit of earlier tracks “Anything Could Happen” and “This Love Will Be Your Downfall”, albeit more confident.
The true gems of Brightest Blue are at the end. Every album by every artist always seems to have a triad of songs that seamlessly flow and create this magical moment of musical perfection. Here, we have “Bleach”, “Flux” and “Brightest Blue”; which together close the first side of the album tenderly and earnestly. “Bleach” has become a favorite of mine. I’m picky about profanity in songs: It’s often used solely to shock or sound current or hip, and can sound forced. But here, the words are used delicately and brutally honest against the gentle acoustic guitar and sweeping orchestrations. Ellie doesn’t shy away from regret, and her honesty impresses. “Flux”, another affecting and expressive ballad, is already one of my all-time favorite Ellie tracks; her improved vocal technique and restraint in full display with a gorgeous piano melody.
But it’s the closing track “Brightest Blue” that shines, yes, the brightest. It soars with its choral vocals, longing strings and Ellie’s trademark falsetto. There’s a sense of urgency, release, and renewal. She even weaves some impressive staccato lyrics at great speed, with commendable enunciation. Already, this song ranks high on my absolute favorites. It’s the spark of brightness so many of us need in 2020.
About EG.0, i.e. the second side of the double album: It includes previously-released mainstream tracks, and Ellie describes it as her alter ego. Initially, I could take or leave these songs. I’d heard them before, and they left a bad taste in my mouth; mostly because I wanted something with more substance. And again, I much prefer Ellie songs sans collaborations.
But, you know what? These songs are good. Yes, they’re more aggressive, and Ellie’s voice doesn’t sit quite as comfortably among the arrangements. But they’re playful, memorable and catchy. “Close To Me” has surprised me the most. When Ellie dropped it, I dismissed it as a sellout (harsh, but true) and didn’t even listen to the whole thing. What I missed on that first listen was the aforementioned fantastic bass frequencies (that drop!) and the wall of sound chorus.
I also have a new appreciation and love for “Worry About Me”, thanks to the “Overture” introduction. The infusion of the gothic choir emphasizes the song’s classical influence, and showcases just how clever Ellie’s genre-crossing is. She’s quite the master of mixing various sounds and moods, and ultimately achieves a unique style in doing so.
Throughout, Ellie’s maturity as both a songwriter and performer are evident, and a welcome progression in what is sure to be a long and prosperous career. The intricacy of the arrangements showcases her innate musicality and she effortlessly captures emotion. She’s already worked with many artists on many songs and albums. She’ll likely continue her ascent.
To close on a personal note, I love this album and I’m predicting it will be one of my best music purchases this year. After several years of hoping to hear something with a lot of substance and thoughtfulness from Ellie, she’s gone and outdone herself. Halcyon was always my favorite, and this blows it away. It's a journey through emotion that pushes and pulls beautifully, and it's a welcome release.
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