Kygo - Cloud Nine (Import) (2 LP)

Foregoing the big drops and unrelenting hammer beats of festival EDM on his debut album Cloud Nine, Norwegian pianist and producer Kygo (born Kyrre Gorvell-Dahll) crafted relaxed, melodic pop-hook house aimed at secluded beaches, nocturnal haunts, and even romantic rendezvous. Boasting a full roster of guest vocalists, Cloud Nine is music for the lounge, not the club, and the soundtrack to the post-party comedown. As the title suggests, this collection is pleasurable and light, lifting listeners to that eponymous place in the heavens. From the sparkling "Intro" to the plaintive closer "For What It's Worth," Cloud Nine is a cohesive journey where each song melts into the next along the connective thread that is Kygo's celestial piano tinkling. The high points of the album are subtle nods to Kygo's big influence, Avicii, that combine folksy guitars atop thumping dance beats. "Fiction" features British singer/songwriter Tom Odell and sounds like Arcade Fire's Win Butler guesting on a trac