Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By The Chainsmokers, Disruptor Records/Columbia Records/Sony Music Australia 2018.
This album is a compilation of all the singles that The Chainsmokers have released throughout 2018.
The duo started the year with the aim of producing the album but instead of holding all the tracks back until the project was completed, released them as they went.
In effect this gives them two bites of the cherry.
Fans who purchased the tracks as downloads could well be tempted to purchase the completed album as well.
For those of us who heard a track or two that we liked the album is a good way of getting a broader awareness of the band.
Chainsmokers have developed some of the biggest breakthrough songs for many emerging artists over the last two years including Closer featuring Halsey which went on to become the longest running #1 single of 2016 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
The DJ duo consists of Alex Pall and Andrew Taggart and they have developed the happy knack of attracting some extremely talented singers to perform with them.
Their big breakthrough came with the release of Memories…Do Not Open in 2017 and amongst the many artists they worked with in developing the album was Coldplay.
The resultant song Something Just Like This went on to break the record for the most views of a lyric video in one day with a staggering nine million plays.
The album itself was certified Platinum and reached number one on the Billboard Top 200 and took the boys to the top of the highest paid DJ list.
Chainsmokers have achieved incredible success, possibly because they blur the line between genres.
They’re not hip hop, nor indie, nor pop or dance but a mixture of the lot and so they appeal to a broad audience.
I’m of a demographic far removed from their usual listening base and yet I can still find a lot to like in their approach.
