After an approximate two year hiatus, Irish indie-alternative artist, EDEN has resurfaced, releasing his first full-length album: vertigo. As a massive fan of his previous EP, i think you think too much of me, I had been eagerly awaiting this album for months.

EDEN had teased his fans with three singles towards the end of 2017: “start//end,” “crash,” and “gold.” These trios of songs tickled my ears with pleasantries — but not pleasantries in the sense of quiet, relaxing music. While I would classify these songs as “chill,” alternative undertones are clearly present. “gold” deviates ever-so-slightly, with a lighter — but still alternative — tone.

Upon hearing the rest of the album, in all honesty, I was disappointed. One of my favorite aspects of EDENa��S prior EP was his one “red herring” of a song; one with pop-like qualities and higher energy than the others. This album lacked any aspect of that anomaly; however, the tracks present were nonetheless impressive. Then again, when I was first listening to the album in its entirety, every pause between tracks was filled with hopes of the red herring, immediately followed by a surge of disappointment.

Of these dark and slow tracks, my favorites were easily “forever//over” and “love; not wrong (brave).” The former begins with slow, steady sounds of guitar, eventually picking up a bit by the first chorus. The lyrics in this track are what drew me in initially; they were slow enough to comprehend during the first listen, and I immediately fell in love. Not exactly the red herring I was looking for, but definitely a song I enjoyed.

Contrastly, “love; not wrong (brave)” incorporates the alternative side of EDEN’s music. This track reeked of familiarity, so much so that within the first few seconds I drew a parallel to an earlier release, “drugs.” Both songs were filled with impressive electronic backbeats and grew “love; not wrong (brave)” encapsulates indie-alternative music with its intense backtrack paired with optimistic, perhaps even hopeful lyrics.

Although vertigo deviated from his previous release, one thing remained consistent: his vocals. EDEN’s raspy voice typifies his work and remains one of the reasons he’s my favorite artist. His music is distinctively his, yet he still incorporates new and innovative tools into his work.

Although it fell just short of my expectations, vertigo is still an enjoyable album. EDEN’s vocals remain impressive, and multiple tracks piqued my interest. I guess all that’s next is another two-year wait.