Zedd
Clarity

THE REVIEW

The desire to conquer a broader audience was already evident from the early single “Spectrum,” Zaslavski’s first real major hit capable of breaking into even our local radios (and televisions). The track, while giving more than a nod to contemporary British dance, remained... true to Zedd.  

Thus, I had no particular fears for this major debut - Universal - in fact, I was more than confident when hitting play; the opening of “Hourglass” immediately sets things straight, exploding into a gaudy and thunderous synth beat à la Guetta with female vocals: once again, I had been naive.

Following are “Shave It Up,” probably included as a face-saving old warhorse, (in)opportunely re-edited and featuring a... violin tail, and the already mentioned “Spectrum” (strictly in radio version).

The rest of the album insists on the glossy sound and the utterly bland composition of the most commonplace (pop)dance, with the title track (rightly) hitting rock bottom in this regard; standing out positively—perhaps more due to the scantness of what surrounds them—are only the duo “Codec”/“Stache,” edgy and tight (as the entire album should have been!), and the closing “Epos,” which nicely blends complextro and progressive nuances.

This isn’t enough to save Clarity—an album that, regardless of the sound change, appears soulless—but it at least leaves hope that once mainstream spotlights inevitably shift to other genres, Zedd will be able to produce... as Zedd.