Kids, get out your glow sticks and have a listen to Ellie Goulding’s new album, Halcyon Days. Halcyon Days is a re-release of 2012’s Halcyon, but 10 new tracks make a contribution as a new and advanced album, (arguably being sufficient for their own album.)   With the old and new tracks, Halcyon Days has emerged as a mega-album, weighing in at 28 songs.  But don’t be overwhelmed, the songs include not only her newest single, “Burn,” but old favorites like “I Need Your Love” and “Anything Could Happen” as well, songs which few could resist dancing along to.

With the album’s weird title and Goulding’s popularity as a techno pop artist, this album is just what you’d expect –  dancy, upbeat, electronic and sparkly.  Admittedly “sparkly” has nothing to do with her music, but the adjective always comes to mind when I think of Ellie Goulding.

Goulding’s voice is lovely, and works so well with her genre and this album in particular.  She couples her high, haunting voice with the electronic melodies she’s known for.  This can range from chilling ballads to upbeat techno hits.  The whole album shows a high variety of mood, from break up songs to inspirational songs, like “Anything Could Happen,” whose very title could not be more inspirational, varieties in style and tempo, which all show Goulding’s growth as a unique and experienced artist.

Though she often stays with fun uptempo beats, the lyrics prove to be more meaningful than one would expect from a pop artist; the lyrics, again coupled with her high melodic voice and electronic sound, make for a fun yet somewhat serene album.

Ellie Goulding’s rise to popularity has been a slow one, but her work on Halcyon Days shows that she’s worthy of respect, producing an album with several popular hits and several more being popular-hit worthy. This album is certainly worth a listen.

– Andrea DeBauche