Ellie Goulding is in danger of seeing her personal life overtake her musical accomplishments. Her boyfriend Skrillex is quite possibly the most discussed, debated, lauded and ridiculed artist in the world right now – all at the same time – as his neverending tour packs out festival main stages, arenas and sweaty after-parties. While Goulding herself has done a pretty good job of cracking America, she remains somewhat behind the genuine heavyweights, Adele and Florence on this side of the pond. Maybe Halcyon will change all that.
Let’s dispel the inevitable fear that Skrillex’s signature sound of booming bass, supercharged synths and macho bluster might have infected the record. Au contraire, much of it sounds like an altogether more measured and tasteful take on Florence’s baroque art-pop. Goulding’s smoky tones mostly avoid histrionics, and for the most part the arrangements are sensitively, spaciously done, supporting some fine songwriting moves. The opening ‘Don’t Say A Word’ ebbs and flows, massed vocals and tribal drums swelling to spine-tingling effect; ‘Explosions’ is a stirring, lovelorn ballad; and the one track that does echo her famous boyfriend’s sound, ‘Figure 8’, is one of the best pop/dubstep crossovers you are likely to hear – right up there with much of Katy B’s album of last year.
Overall, these are heady times for British female solo artists. The good news is that Ellie Goulding has made a convincing pitch to keep riding the wave.