Album of the Week: Calvin Harris not quite ready

Expectations are a bitch. I had high hopes for the new Calvin Harris album, Ready for the Weekend, especially after the string of killer hits he has produced since last year’s collaboration with Dizzee Rascal, and my No. 2 song of last year, “Dance Wiv Me.” He’s followed it up with not only his own ace singles (“I Am Not Alone,” “Ready for the Weekend”) but also terrific remixes for the likes of Mr. Hudson, Mika (downloadable below), Passion Pit and even more Dizzee Rascal collabos – all with Calvin’s signature chunky synths. As Zane Lowe likes to say, Calvin Harris is a bad man! But not bad enough, or at least, not ready to make the transition from hitmaker to album star. The record is unreasonably long at 14 songs, half of which are real duds (two are low-key instrumentals, something he should leave to the Mobys of the world). An album half as long, or twice as sharp, could have put him in a Madonna-like territory few dance-music artists are able to reach. Next time, bad man. B

Mika: We Are Golden (Calvin Harris Remix) (from RCRD LBL)
from the album The Boy Who Knew Too Much
MP3 •

Calvin Harris: Ready for the Weekend
from the album Ready for the Weekend
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