Although house music has its origins in Chicago, there is little doubt that the Swedish are making large strides in the diverse genre and are becoming prominent musicians. What makes house interesting is that this large, branching category of electronic music is consistently supplemented with additions of types of music that are found to be appealing to an audience. A certain type of sound might be attractive because it seems highly innovative or it induces blissful feelings of nostalgia. The ever-changing popularity of different subgenres also means that different DJs would find their selves receiving praise for their alluring work or criticism for their contribution to this complex subset of music.

Tim Bergling, known as Avicii, has amassed popularity with the release of Levels, a remix of the 1962 gospel-style hit “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” by American artist Etta James.  With this song and numerous more remixes he had established himself as a progressive house artist, or one who explores a wide variety of sounds more often then standard dance pop DJs.  Being experimental could be a risk as it involves craftsmanship and structural design that differs from the norm. Before the release of his debut studio album, Avicii announced that he would be creating something different from his previous 50 or so remix dance tracks. While most of his mixes were appropriate for club-settings, he was interested in tying together more synthetic electronica and folk, a combination most would not predict ever hearing on the mainstream radio.

True (or sometimes stylized as TRUE) was released September 13, 2013 through Universal Island Records.  It was quickly met with success as it had claimed a position in the top tens of charts in numerous countries worldwide, including number 2 in the United Kingdom. Although the album received generally positive reviews from critics, many individuals, particularly those who’ve attended electronic dance music festivals. A large number of people were disappointed about experimental music being presented at a high-profile dance festival, especially because most of the tracks we’re heavily inspired by American country music.

“Wake Me Up” was released as the first official single from True. It features Aloe Blacc, an American soul singer and member of hip-hop duo Emanon. This track blends upbeat dance music with melodic bluegrass folk. Avicii had originally written the melodies with Elvis Presley’s singing in mind, and contacted Blacc as he was the only person he knew when he was in Los Angeles at the time. The lyrics, written by Blacc, focus on self-pity and the desire to wake up to a fresh, new day.

“You Make Me” was the second single from the album, and features Swedish soul pop musician Salem Al Fakir. Although this track’s lyrics are romantic and idealistic, the melodies and progressions contrast greatly from those of the first single in that they sound darker. This is accredited to the organs and heavy, dramatic drops.

The country-influence is most readily found in the song “Hey Brother”, sang by American bluegrass musician Dan Tyminski. The elements of typical bluegrass genre music are present, ie. acoustic guitar, drums, but they are complimented with an upbeat percussion.

“Addicted to You”, featuring American artist Audra Mae, is the shortest track in the album, but is impressive due to Mae’s raspy and passionate vocals.

“Dear Boy”, featuring Danish singer Mø, is one of the longest tracks in True and has the most diversity in terms of changes in melody and progression. It begins sounding like Avicii’s older electronic dance tracks, but drops and resumes with the vocalist singing softly about a love. The tempo speeds up, the vocalist sings with more vigor and passion, and proceeds to drop again. This is definitely one of the most energetic songs Avicii has put out.

“Lay Me Down”, featuring Adam Lambert, introduces funk reminiscent of the 70’s and elements of pop music, along with some very synthetic sounding bridges.

“Heart Upon My Sleeve”, the final track, starts with an acoustic guitar playing but smoothly transitions into a tune that sounds eerily similar to 1983 British New Wave hit “Sweet Dreams” by Eurythmics.

Avicii has certainly accomplished his goal of creating a compilation of different sounds and accompanying them with his own synthesized sounds. While the electronic sounds were what identified the tracks as Avicii’s, the featured artists, many of them bluegrass and country singers, lent their personalities for the lyrical content and the vocal melodies. As an experimental album, the tracks are of high-quality and should provide a surprise for anyone looking to hear unique dance tracks.