Music Review: Avicii "Levels"

Avicii

Levels

Album: N/A

Year: 2011

            Etta James believes something great is about to happen to her in the lively “Levels.”

           The blithesome synths twirl, enjoying every moment of life, setting a promising tone.

         
  The synths hush for the Etta James 1962 sample of “Something’s Got A Hold On Me.” (“Oh, sometimes/I get a good feeling, yeah/Get a feeling that I never, never, never, never had before, no no/I get a good feeling, yeah.")

          The synths peek out and begin jumping up and down, basking in the perfect moment.
        Avicii’s clever arrangement is a continuation of sorts of the Etta James song. He takes the snippet of the original and is able to evoke the emotion of what James is describing. By comparison, he makes the original seem wordy (although it’s not.)
 
       The exuberant “Levels” gets right into the heart of the sample and successfully manages to be able to do something new with it.