Packaged in what mom and dad might mistake for a
Tangerine Dream or
Yes album,
Worlds Apart is the EP where Jeff Montalvo's
Seven Lions project spreads its wings, going beyond the usual bang and boom of EDM and letting the songs wander into whatever genres they care to explore. In the case of the title track, it is the soft spaciness of vocal trance before some new-school disco rains down like glitter, but in the case of the key cut "Don't Leave" with vocalist
Ellie Goulding, it's dreamy pop that just happens to come with a drum machine thump. Instrumental "Nepenthe" wanders the most, running through
Enigma-like exotica before the modern wubba-wubba of dubstep shakes the floor, then two swaying, slower songs let the listener drift back down to Earth.
Worlds Apart suits headphones more than dancing shoes, but it's still a solid EDM after-party EP that's well-crafted and welcome. ~ David Jeffries