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Ellie Goulding- Halcyon vs Halcyon Days


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Old 29-12-2013, 23:37
Hav_mor91
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Technically one and the same album except the latter is a dreaded re-release. My question to you is what do you prefer Halcyon the original or the New songs Halcyon Days.

Personally for me Halcyon all the way. She surprised me totally and elevated herself to somebody with artistic vision and depth progressing forward into a uniquely promising artist. It's themes, sounds and songs are just brilliant and are still underrated even with the re-release pushing it. Anything could Happen, Explosions, Atlantis, Only you, Joy Halcyon I could go on just brilliant songs.

Halcyon Days on the other hand is somewhat tepid, has more filler and is much less interesting. It has it's moments but does what it says on the tin appeals to a mass audience. Burn whilst a catchy tune cannot compare to ACH nor can HWILY ever compare to Explosions. Also I feel the release and sub par material was to her detriment and on artistic level stunted her growth and damaged her credibility with some now seeing her as a saccharine covers artist or mainstream sell out.

So thoughts.
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Old 30-12-2013, 01:08
scratchy23
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I love both. Halcyon I love for its fairly chilled vibe, I find it very relaxing to listen to. Favourite tracks are My blood, Figure 8, Only You, Halcyon, I Know You Care, Hanging On and I Need Your Love. I love it as an album as a whole.

Halcyon Days is far more energetic, which I love also. I love pretty much every track except Tessellate.

On the whole, HD is the body of work I prefer
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Old 30-12-2013, 10:06
LandslideBrad
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Halcyon.
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Old 30-12-2013, 10:31
little-monster
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I prefer Halcyon
Halcyon Days is a nice standalone record but clearly a desperate commericial record which the label wanted after the success with I need your love. Her label have turned her into a singles cash cow, and no longer the albums artist who wasn't always defined by her hits. However songs like Midas Touch give a slight dingy underground dance vibe which i much prefer.
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Old 30-12-2013, 11:13
Hav_mor91
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I like the energy of HD and feel if she had recorded and slapped on a couple of extra tracks HD could have been a stand alone full length and a nice stop gap. hopefully next album they will leave whatever she records be, Halcyon did well enough with out the mediocre extra's.
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Old 30-12-2013, 16:52
BadKid95
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Halcyon for me, truly a confessional record that worked perfectly, it really felt like Ellie had put her heart into it. Although I do like Midas Touch I feel that HD does not have that honesty, smoke screens come to mind for some reason
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Old 30-12-2013, 17:43
Hav_mor91
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Halcyon for me, truly a confessional record that worked perfectly, it really felt like Ellie had put her heart into it. Although I do like Midas Touch I feel that HD does not have that honesty, smoke screens come to mind for some reason
It was the same with Lights you can tell she had crafted and put her sole into to create a cohesive body of work adding Bright Lights tracks again diminished that. I do feel perhaps Halcyon had a somewhat alternative slant that not many warmed to but it is just a much stronger body of work, that you can tell was crafted and made with love HD was just to capitalise and consolidate her arrival to the aminstream
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Old 30-12-2013, 19:03
BadKid95
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It was the same with Lights you can tell she had crafted and put her sole into to create a cohesive body of work adding Bright Lights tracks again diminished that. I do feel perhaps Halcyon had a somewhat alternative slant that not many warmed to but it is just a much stronger body of work, that you can tell was crafted and made with love HD was just to capitalise and consolidate her arrival to the aminstream
The record label did see the potential in her to be more of a popstar and perhaps it felt right after the success of explosions? This is all such a far cry now from the "flop" of Figure 8
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Old 30-12-2013, 19:06
Hav_mor91
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The record label did see the potential in her to be more of a popstar and perhaps it felt right after the success of explosions? This is all such a far cry now from the "flop" of Figure 8
I see the sense but why not 1 more single off Halcyon add 1 or two more songs to HD call it something else and call it her 3rd studio album

And I know turnaround in fortunes much in the top 10 year ends with Halcyon.
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Old 31-12-2013, 00:09
embryo
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'Halcyon' wins for me easily. It has its flaws, but I think it's a massive step up from her debut and is one of my favourite mainstream pop albums of recent years. 'Halcyon Days', however, just feels like a cash-in - the songs are much more commercial and none of them match up to the best tracks on the original album. I'd like to hear her explore the edgier sound of certain tracks on 'Halcyon' on her next album, so I'll just have to hope the success of 'I Need Your Love' and 'Burn' doesn't cause her to focus on more generic material in the future.
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Old 31-12-2013, 00:28
digichant
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Definitely Halcyon.

Halcyon Days has a few good songs like 'Goodness Gracious' and 'Tessellate', but then the crap like 'Flashlight' and 'Burn' mark a steep decline in quality. Most of the additions on Halcyon Days are just cheap dance tracks, and I hope that this isn't the direction she is forced to go on in the future.
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Old 31-12-2013, 00:34
Hav_mor91
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Definitely Halcyon.

Halcyon Days has a few good songs like 'Goodness Gracious' and 'Tessellate', but then the crap like 'Flashlight' and 'Burn' mark a steep decline in quality. Most of the additions on Halcyon Days are just cheap dance tracks, and I hope that this isn't the direction she is forced to go on in the future.
I like both songs you mentioned but would argue one is her weakest single and the other feels like DJ Fresh's song. I feel HD was just to capitalise ont eh then success of Halcyon and with low album sales for albums in general a way to sell more.

It's doubtful she will continue in this way look at the difference and leap between Lights/Bright Lights and Halcyon .
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