Released: 29th May 2020
Published by: Sony Music
Over the last decade, the rise of technological, progressive house music has been unstoppable, with the likes of Avici and Sigala hammering their new style into parties worldwide. Hailing from Norway, Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, better known as Kygo, is now arguably the biggest name in the genre and his third major album, “Golden Hour” plans to continue that successful streak.
Making his debut in 2013 with remixes of Mavin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing and Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire”, Kygo has formed a distinctive identity through his music, utilising his skills as both a pianist and technical editor to create some smooth blends. From the beginning, he has been one-part irresistible beats crafted from an array of instruments and another part collaborating with other major artists. Totalling an hour of music in total, Golden Hour represents his most ambitious line-up to date with the likes of Oh Wonder and Dreamlab joining the returning OneRepublic and Valerie Broussard for a track set eighteen strong. It’s certainly a high showcase for the DJ’s gargantuan influence and popularity; he’s even been given access to Whitney Houston’s rendition of “Higher Love”, resulting in a deliciously sublime creation for the modern century.
It’s certainly familiar to anyone who has listened to Kygo’s compositions before, but Golden Hour’s variety instead shows through the wide range of paces and tones across the set. It’s a solid arrangement, with the quicker “Beautiful” followed up by the more ponderous “To Die For”. The best tracks however, fall somewhere in between, seamlessly blending the singer’s lyrics with the background instrumentals. “Freedom” with Zak Abel, “Broken Glass” with Kim Petras and “Like it is” with Zara Larsson are all particularly brilliant with a flow that quickly eases you into their verses. Not all tracks reach this quality and this is on those rare occasions when the background overpowers the collaborating artists. “How would I know” featuring Oh Wonder has a less dynamic appearance as their lyrics seem to drift away. Other than that, you’ll easily get into the rest of the album.
Kygo’s Golden Hour is for the most part a great show, delivering a top-notch set of tracks sure to line the corridors of any major venue. There’s no doubt the Norwegian DJ remains one of the most talented mixers in the business, bringing out his most grandiose effort at the height of his popularity. You’ll be bouncing to his latest work in no time flat.
Rating: B
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