Azure Blue - Images Of You (2019)

Azure Blue, one of Sweden’s most internationally acclaimed indie artists, is back with a stunning fifth album ‘Images of You’ and it is absolutely clear that somebody has fallen in love. Consistent with the approach on the celebrated debut album ‘Rule of Thirds’ in 2011, Tobias Isaksson set his main focus on the songwriting with tracks written on guitar and carefully transformed into warm analog synth soundscapes. Using his film director girlfriend as a muse, the results are heartfelt and romantic pop classics.

Cinematic opener ‘Hökarängen’ is the sound of the night bus home from the studio marking the end of an era roaming aimlessly alone, while ‘Entropy’ is a three-minute rush of synthpop perfection that signals the thrilling excitement of newfound love. ‘Event Horizon’—one of several featured singles on the album—is a dark but hopeful story about love in the time of climate change that showcases captivating melodies, a soaring chorus, and a certain Spanish flair.

‘Millions of Stars’ is another enchanting single featuring analog synth arpeggios and one of the biggest crescendos we’ve heard from nearly a decade of productions, while ‘Images of You’ is two minutes of haunting old school synthpop with ethereal female backing vocals and ‘Running with the Eventide’ slows down the pace with an especially honest love song.

‘Yesterday’s Gone’ is another single contender with a sensational singalong chorus, enticing percussion, and absolutely superb melodies, while ‘Wild for the Night’ is a keyboard-driven manic pop thrill and lead single ‘Shine On’ is a dreamy synthpop hit with shimmering reverb that brightens up the song like the northern lights.

‘Sea of Love’ is an earnest love song that further demonstrates Isaksson’s romantic side, while album closer ‘The Rose’—a beautiful, naked ballad written and recorded in one day—is the most sincere Azure Blue track to date.

Echoing timeless pop melodies—as if Depeche Mode, New Order, and OMD grew up in Sweden instead of England—and featuring contributions from contemporary Swedish artists The Land Below and Paola, ‘Images Of You’ is consummate electronic indie and Azure Blue’s finest moment to date.