Ellie Goulding’s 2012 sophomore album, Halcyon, put the English pop star in the spot light for the first time since her 2010 single, “Lights.”
Singles, “Anything Could Happen,” which peaked at number five on the U.K. Singles Chart, and “Figure 8” impressed fans but the rest of the album, including its third single, “Explosions,” which ranked 14thon the same chart, left fans feeling underwhelmed with Goulding’s talent.
Fans paid more attention to the bonus track, “I Need Your Love,” an electronic dance number primarily by Calvin Harris, than to any bare album tracks.
Late August, Goulding released an expanded version of Halcyon, which she dubbed Halcyon Days, following a tour of the same name. The re-released album features all the original tracks, the original bonus tracks and 10 new tracks.
The first new track, “Burn,” earned Goulding her first No. 1 spot on the U.K. Singles Chart. It is a catchy—but not annoying—summertime anthem about having fun and “giving love to the world.” Though bordering on the cliché, the lead track is one of the most well executed odes to youth in recent years.
“You My Everything,” first featured on Skins, is another catchy tune that appears inspired by romantic obsession. The only thing harder than listening to this song and not dancing is getting the preceding track, “Goodness Gracious,” out of your head.
While Halcyon feels dragged down by five or six slow songs, the re-release features only two more, “Hearts Without Chains,” and “How Long Will I love You”. The former shows us a deep maturity in Goulding’s voice and lyricism, the latter is a surprising love song that would be ridiculous if not so classically beautiful.
The re-release explores a more diverse collection of ethereal dance than Goulding’s past endeavors. Tracks such as “Stay Awake (feat. Madeon)” and “Flashlight (feat. DJ Fresh)” offer synth more aligned with the house genre than Goulding’s past work, save “Figure 8”.
For those who’d rather vibe out than dance, Goulding provides three exceptional tracks as her foray into chill-wave. “Tessellate,” “Under Control” and the album’s final track, “Midas Touch,” are perfect for driving around at night with the windows down.
Halcyon Days is the dance, chill-wave complement to Halcyon and leaves fans in an inexplicable mood, both wanting more yet completely satisfied.