REVIEW

Zedd aces his freshman album test

By AP's Ron Harris

[October 09, 2012]  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Zedd, "Clarity" (Interscope)

German electro-house producer Zedd is out with his debut album "Clarity," a solid full-length starter that showcases his knack for honing danceable tracks to a fine point of perfection.

Zedd was born Anton Zaslavski into a family of musicians, but didn't start catching full fire as a dance music maestro until his efforts were justly rewarded in 2009 with two Beatport remix contest wins. Now, three years later, he stands poised to dominate dance floors.

It shouldn't be a problem. There are some delicious tracks here, from the immediate urgency of "Shave It Up" to "Codec," a full-on foot-stomper with an incessant beat that refuses to give you a moment's rest.

The vocal features on "Clarity" are among the best you'll hear in house this year. Ellie Goulding is excellent on "Fall Into the Sky" and the title track "Clarity," featuring Foxes, is an instant classic. "If our love is tragedy why are you my remedy?" goes the refrain before breaking into a heady swirl of house.

With "Clarity," Zedd just aced his freshman LP test. The album is technically well-managed and the songs pulse with a common sense of longing. For love. For the dance floor. For all of it.

CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: Matthew Koma brings a crushing cool to his feature appearance on "Spectrum," a song interspersed with dubstep-ish beat breaks amid the soaring vocals that aim for the rafters. Supremely solid stuff from both men on this track.

[Associated Press; By RON HARRIS]

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