By successfully blending dreamy melodies and synthetic soundscapes, Tycho, also known as Scott Hansen, has revamped a genre that can easily become hip elevator music.
In his fourth album, Awake, Tycho places more emphasis on guitar and percussion rather than heavy synth, only improving his already strong formula for electronic music.
The result is a dynamic record that perfectly reflects his signature soothing-but-never-boring sound. Awake is precise, and no song feels too long or tedious. The album opens with the bubbly “Awake,” gaining the listener’s attention by being catchy from start to finish.
“Montana” and “L” follow suit with their dreamy and upbeat quality. Rather than masking the rest of the music in a haze of synth, Awake lets its guitar riffs take the lead.
As the album nears its closing tracks, the listener can only hope Tycho has saved the best for last. But the best songs are all at the beginning, making for an anticlimactic ending.
Awake feels like it should be building to something bigger, but the final songs lose momentum and the album fizzles out in its final songs.
Awake never steps outside the box of what previous Tycho albums have already achieved, but fans and new listeners alike will find something of substance in Tycho’s latest.
His fine-tuned ability to balance catchy rock beats and electronic instrumentals has resulted in another vastly enjoyable album.
