Mike Posner did take a pill in Ibiza. He was watching DJ friend Avicii spinning the deck – then came the pill from a complete stranger.
Club troopers have that reckless real-life episode to thank for the existence of the brilliant I Took A Pill In Ibiza.
But if the past-midnight crowd is looking for an album filled with decadent dance bangers, well just be prepared to be disappointed.
“This album is best listened to at night,” the Detroit homeboy declares on the album’s intro before cheekily adding, “and alone.”
That doesn’t mean that this sophomore studio effort completely omits those hands-in-the-air tunes. The second half of the record brings in the remixes from the producing likes of SeeB, Kyle Tree and Labrinth.
The question is, are those bouncy elements necessary?
At its core, At Night, Alone is intended to be a pop tale of caution. Naturally, languid ballads are the preferred choice to drive home those sappy messages.
Stripped of twinkly productions, the acoustic rendition of I Took A Pill In Ibiza actually sounds much better than its SeeB clubland cousin.
That bare-bones approach also shines on contemplative numbers like on the redeeming Be As You Are and slow-burning Silence.
Interestingly enough, the Sluggo x Loote remix of Silence – with the flourishes of accelerated claps and swooping synths – elevates the track’s pop cred. But on the remix of the nostalgic Buried in Detroit, the number could have done with a little less polished studio touches.
To answer the above question, the duality of At Night, Alone is pretty much a case of hits-and-misses.
Mike Posner
At Night, Alone
Island Records
