Danny L Harle's Cerulean is an album with two distinct identities: its credentials as a high-profile collaboration-heavy effort, and its actual artistic content. The former is undeniably impressive – featuring an all-star guestlist that includes Clairo, Caroline Polachek, PinkPantheress, MNEK, and more – but the latter is where things get murky.
In an attempt to distill his influences down to a singular aesthetic, Harle has opted for a bold but misguided approach. Cerulean is unapologetically retro, channeling the same cheesy pop-trance beats that dominated BBC Radio 1 in the early 00s and have since become synonymous with the Eurodance scene of yesteryear. However, this is presented with an air of seriousness that borders on the pretentious.
The album's lead single, "Azimuth," featuring Caroline Polachek, is a prime example of Harle's approach – a collision course between pop-trance and gothy hard rock that feels like a hastily cobbled-together winner. It's a curiously incongruous blend of styles that sounds more like a Soviet-era Eurovision entry than a genuine artistic statement.
Harle's tracklist is peppered with similarly baffling choices, from the beatless instrumentals to the 75-second Clairo-pushed track that awkwardly segues into cinematic strings. It's all so...flimsy – lacking any semblance of genuine pop hooks or memorable melodies to make these productions truly sing.
Cerulean's ultimate appeal will likely lie with those who nostalgically recall the era when Cascada, Kelly Llorenna, and the Trance Nation compilations ruled the charts. For everyone else, it's an album that veers wildly between sugary intensity and grating, over-the-top pretentiousness – a messy amalgamation of influences that fails to cohere into anything meaningful.
Ultimately, Cerulean feels like an earnest but misguided attempt at paying homage to the pop-trance of Harle's youth. While it's undeniably interesting as a curiosity, its very earnestness makes it difficult to appreciate on any deeper level.
In an attempt to distill his influences down to a singular aesthetic, Harle has opted for a bold but misguided approach. Cerulean is unapologetically retro, channeling the same cheesy pop-trance beats that dominated BBC Radio 1 in the early 00s and have since become synonymous with the Eurodance scene of yesteryear. However, this is presented with an air of seriousness that borders on the pretentious.
The album's lead single, "Azimuth," featuring Caroline Polachek, is a prime example of Harle's approach – a collision course between pop-trance and gothy hard rock that feels like a hastily cobbled-together winner. It's a curiously incongruous blend of styles that sounds more like a Soviet-era Eurovision entry than a genuine artistic statement.
Harle's tracklist is peppered with similarly baffling choices, from the beatless instrumentals to the 75-second Clairo-pushed track that awkwardly segues into cinematic strings. It's all so...flimsy – lacking any semblance of genuine pop hooks or memorable melodies to make these productions truly sing.
Cerulean's ultimate appeal will likely lie with those who nostalgically recall the era when Cascada, Kelly Llorenna, and the Trance Nation compilations ruled the charts. For everyone else, it's an album that veers wildly between sugary intensity and grating, over-the-top pretentiousness – a messy amalgamation of influences that fails to cohere into anything meaningful.
Ultimately, Cerulean feels like an earnest but misguided attempt at paying homage to the pop-trance of Harle's youth. While it's undeniably interesting as a curiosity, its very earnestness makes it difficult to appreciate on any deeper level.
i mean dont get me wrong the guestlist is insane 
but seriously danie u need 2 take a step back from ur influences 
this eurodance vibe r hard 2 pull off especially with that gothy rock thing rn its like u r trying 2 be edgy but rn it jus sounds forced lol also what s up w th beatless instrumentals ?? who listens 2 music w out a beat ?? 
I mean, I love Danny L Harle's style, but this album feels like a greatest hits collection for his teenage self... and honestly, I'd rather hear that teenage version of him now than the grown-up one trying too hard to be edgy 
. It's all just a bit too much - the over-the-top beats, the pretentious synths, the whole "I'm a visionary" vibe that's just cringeworthy 
. I get what he's going for, but it feels like he's more focused on impressing his fans than actually creating something new and interesting 
. And don't even get me started on those instrumentals... 
who thought beatless tracks were a good idea? 
#CeruleanIsUnderwhelming Cerulean feels like Danny L Harle trying way too hard to recreate the Eurodance magic of his youth 
but honestly it just doesn't land #RetroRevivalFeelsForced The production quality is fire, no cap 
, but the songwriting and cohesion are where it falls flat #CeruleanFallsShort I mean I love a good nostalgic throwback as much as the next person 
. he tries to bring back that eurodance vibe but it feels so extra and pretentious 
still dont get what he was goin for with the sound though it feels like a mixtape from his teenage bedroom 
i guess if u r a child of the eurodance scene in the early 2000s its gonna b ur jam but 4 me, its jst too much @ times 
. album sounds like a greatest hits collection of his old faves but with none of the charm. not sure who's gonna enjoy this except maybe those who still rock out to eurodance in their cars 
. feels like a waste of talented artists involved too 
and the guest list is like whoa but it feels like he just threw all his influences together without thinking it through 
like what happened to the songwriting? 
I'm not hating on Caroline Polachek or anything, but "Azimuth" sounds like a total mess 
what's the point of making music that's trying to be something it's not? 
Danny L Harle's Cerulean is supposed to be this bold statement about his influences, but honestly, it just feels like he's trying too hard to fit into a specific era of pop-trance music without really understanding what makes it tick in the first place. I mean, who thought 75-second tracks were a good idea? 
, that song's fire 
. it's trying to be retro but comes off as kinda try-hard 
. i mean, who thought beatless instrumentals were a good idea? 
. for me, cerulean will always be the album that had some cool singles but ultimately fell flat because it just didn't have enough depth 
. It's also worth considering that even if Cerulean doesn't entirely succeed in cohering into a meaningful artistic statement, it still showcases Harle's ability to bring together talented musicians from different genres. What's important is how we respond to the music – do we appreciate its imperfections, or do we dismiss it?
but cerulean is like a super confusing puzzle that just doesn't click for me 
his attempt to blend pop-trance with gothy hard rock sounds like a weird mashup of genres that don't quite work together 
meanwhile, clairo's track on the album is literally 75 seconds and it just ends 
i'm all for nostalgic vibes in music but cerulean feels more like a nostalgic trip that doesn't quite land 
. The lack of genuine pop hooks is actually kind of genius – who needs catchy melodies when you can just make everyone cringe? 
