Album Review: Calvin Harris - 18 Months

Calvin Harris has paved quite a road to get to 18 Months, his third studio effort and a guest vocal-ridden juggernaut. Musically, 18 Months is clean and enjoyable, as is the norm from the multifaceted Scottish DJ-singer-songwriter, but there's just no stopping a guy with that kind of cred from pulling in some pretty hefty names to lend their talents and their pipes to an array of tracks in existence for more than a year before the album's release date. Indeed, songs like mega hit Feel So Close, with Harris's anthemic but oddly deep and soulful vocal, have been kicking around for so long they've seeped into the collective consciousness. A long lead time is a good way to drum up hype, but here there's a slight feeling that a price has been paid somewhere along the way.

That somewhere can be traced like a beeline of hits and misses straight down the album as a whole. Harris's solo contributions are a further testament to the man's skill on the decks, splicing dynamic atmospheric textures with crunchy house beats – no issues there. Of the collaborations, the standouts are Sweet Nothing with Florence Welch and Here 2 China, with the Scot teaming up with Dizzee Rascal again. Both tracks make the most of their respective guests, along with Harris's knack for climbing to dizzying pop heights with intense stomping textures. Bounce with Kelis is catchy and Drinking From The Bottle with Tinie Tempah is jagged and ear-pleasing. But sadly Rhianna, Example, Ellie Goulding and Ne-Yo probably needn't have bothered turning up; by the time these bone-idle tracks come around it feels like Harris has played his trump cards already.