Illenium - Awake

Illenium
Awake
2017
Spotify

EDM has taken a bit of a beating as of late. The once dominant musical force has become more of a joke with musicians taking pot shots where they can. It's easy to see why with overblown commercialism, rabid young fans and a sound that is wildly outside of what we previously considered pop music. It has signaled the rise of the producer as artists movement and forced electronics into almost every aspect of music today. Of course you can't thank EDM for all of this, or even what we currently call EDM, but there are some artists who manage to rise above the fray and continue to make solid music even if the genre has become stale. Illenium is one of those guys, and Awake is one of those albums. It falls into all the traps, big bombastic music with a female lead vocal, throw in some festival ready drops and wallah you have a track. The difference is when someone does it better, and does it right. On this sophomore record He make so many interesting choices like "No Time Like Now" which instead of being your typical celebration of youth is more slippery, and takes you on a deeper dive into something more interesting. It's like Porter Robinson or Madeon, who similarly seem to be doing something bigger with EDM than just being a touring DJ with the occasional remix and more power to them. Illenium is probably not at that level yet but He certainly is on that path if He keeps making records like this. His personality bleeds through on the tracks without classic vocals like on "Where'd U Go" as this glitchy chopped vocal pushes through a track that simply bangs with a totally satisfying drop.

What Illenium does really well is float between genres. He effortlessly moves from a turnt up bass jam to something far more indie or Odesza like. With other people you would assume they were just casting the widest net possible, but it seems like Illenium has a real sense of purpose with these tracks. There are however a few missteps like the vocals on "Leaving" which just kinda suck. There are also times where He sides far to close to Chainsmokers territory on tracks like "Lost". It still feels far more like progressive house than anything the Chainsmokers have done as of late, but it's too close for comfort. Maybe the Chainsmokers are so bad that it made listening to anything similar just gives you PTSD-lite. The second half of the record is far more commercial than the first which leaves you with a bit of a letdown leaving the album which is too bad. However Illenium is doing some good things and He is only at the beginning of his young career. With a desire for experimentation it seems like Illenium can go far, it just depends on what is his next step.

8.0 out of 10