When Avicii unveiled a full folk band to perform the bluegrass-tinted cut “Wake Me Up” featuring Aloe Blacc at a massive Miami gig, the song was met with skepticism. But as the single raced up international pop charts and set the tone for his earnest and idealistic second album, True, Avicii was vindicated. To call him simply a DJ, a producer or a remixer, is a bit of a misnomer; he’s actually a pop composer, commanding huge, unabashedly uplifting melodies set to mainstream dance tracks, with nary a sample or interpolation in sight. Adam Lambert and Nile Rodgers give “Lay Me Down” a slinky ’70s vibe, destined for two-stepping platform dancing shoes around the world. Meanwhile, cameos from unexpected vocalists like Oklahoma’s Audra Mae (“Addicted to You”) and the revered bluegrass artist Dan Tyminski (“Hey Brother”) succeed in Avicii’s ambitious vision—to make a viable folk-flavoured EDM album.
