Album reviews: Troye Sivan, Smoke Fairies, Enya, Hurricane #1
Sivan deserves the praise big names have been pushing his way, Smoke Fairies bring Yuletide magic and melancholy, Enya powers along gorgeously, and Hurricane #1 get upbeat
Blue Neighbourhood
Universal
In any normal month, the debut album from dreamy YouTube sensation Troye Sivan (who has close to four million adoring followers) would likely be leading the way in monumental sales figures, but in December 2015, Blue Neighbourhood is being slightly overshadowed by a new record-shattering album from a certain soul songstress from Tottenham. But the youthful Australian pop singer needn’t worry. Adele, along with Taylor Swift and Sam Smith, it seems, are just as smitten by the brooding 20-year-old as are the Tumblr generation. Opener Wild, which Swift called “stunning and awesome”, is an anthemic slab of synth pop, which (along with the tracks Ease and Fools) first featured on Sivan’s Wild EP released earlier this year. Throughout the album, Sivan’s soft and melancholic vocals remain catchy in an almost effortless way. With a lyrical outpouring of honest and heartfelt reflections mixed with subtle R&B rhythms and haunting electronic beats, the young vocalist sounds remarkably wise and mature – and appears to have quite a future in store.
