Higher Than Heaven – Ellie Goulding

Nearly Perfect POP Masterpiece

She’s traded in deep cuts from her last album (Brightest Blue) for electric pop bangers and it paid off! Although, this is not her first time going all in on the pop sound, she managed to not lose herself in it. Delirium was her last big attempt at a modern day pop opus. The difference with Higher Than Heaven, is that it did not come off as trying too hard. The album is nice and short with songs that keep her smart song writing and the melodic vocals!

In usual fashion I reorganized the track listing, removing a song or two and moving the bonus tracks up. It came off perfect with a modern & bright first half of the album, then a throwback sound, and finishing with a dark moment but a triumphant end!

My HIGHest rated tracks

Midnight Dreams & Like A Savior

Midnight Dreams drops you directly into an entire atmosphere of next level immersion! It signals to the listener that we will be hearing in a new sound-scape like never before. The thumping gives you all of The Weeknd Vibes with her silky smooth voice layered on top of it. Your body instantly starts to sway and the world floats to prepare for a trip into the galaxy for the next track.

For Like A Savior, she brings her debut album Lights into the modern day. Those lyrics hit you right in the gut with metaphors and inflections that give us the Ellie we’ve missed. Vocals in the chorus soar into the galaxy that you feel as if you’re standing in the middle of. Between the drums in the chorus and the beautiful bridge, this track hits me as if it’s the first listen every time!

Higher Than Heaven & By The End Of The Night

The amount of times that I have listened to the track Higher Than Heaven is insane. It may be a simplistic song in lyrics and production. However, the vocals and the melody is some of the best on the album! Even with the repetitive production it’s just so gorgeous and enduring! All you can do is sing along to try to hit the insanely high notes she hits with great ease. Its a no brainer of a track.

With By The End Of The Night the production is of the same repetitive nature as the previous track, however I do wish it would switch up a little. The catchy quality of the track saves it along with words that just make you one of those shiny happy people you see in movies. The throwback feel of the songs is off the charts, so much so it could be in a Stranger Things soundtrack.

Better Man & Let It Die

The biggest crime of this album is that Better Man was put into the bonus track bin! Although it is an entirely different vibe than the rest of the album, it could have easily been made to fit. I would happily replace some of the other singles with this song being a single. It did have a music video made which tells me it has a special place in Ellie’s heart. I could write an entire post on this track alone. Its just next level darkness and grit that could have an entire album built around it!

Let It Die was the first single and rightly so! It has the same qualities of Better Man with a bit more of a rocker influence. Prior to album release it was on constant repeat! The song sounds specially crafted for her voice with a cadence that uses all of Ellies talents. I’m also a sucker for a heavy guitar with a strong beat! The innocence of her voice with the haunting sound of the music causes chills.

The Extras

In the original album the last bonus track is All By Myself, but I felt that Miracle was an overall gem of a classic Calvin Harris & Ellie Collab. The total recreation of By The End of The Night (Morning After Edit) had me questioning if I liked the original or this version better. Although the original fits the album best, the reimagining is just too phenomenal not to include!