Illenium

Illenium’s Risen is the kind of album that will cause jaws to drop. Opening with the silky vocals of Sirma on “Drop Our Hearts,” which has a grimy sort of Skrillex growl at the drop, the record moves to a more club-like vibe on “Up,” incorporating a monumental build topped with screwed vocals from Lil Wayne’s “Up Up and Away.” The music has a trap feel, but there’s not as much of the dirty-South drawl that’s so prevalent out there right now. “For Truth” could have come straight off a lost Glitch Mob album, but it also hints at the source of Illenium’s inspiration and possibly nods to the direction in which he’s moving. “Focus,” the closing track, offers a subtle comedown. All in all, this four-song EP is a solid snapshot of genre-merging music that flows perfectly. File under “must have.”