Going into At Night, Alone., I was not all that familiar with Mike Posner and his body of work. I know I’ve seen his name around a lot, in terms of guest appearances and writing credits, but I wasn’t familiar with his solo efforts. After hearing “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” every single time I went out, I decided I’d finally check out what he has to offer.
First things first, little did I know the version of “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” I had been rocking to all year was actually just the remix and not representative of his album at all. So if you were like me and came into At Night, Alone. expecting a high-energy pop album, you will be left a little perplexed. At Night, Alone. is full of slow, vocal-driven, ballads throughout it’s entirety. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, as Mike is vocally capable of carrying a song and the production, while subdued, is still very good. Just not what I was expecting when I came into the album.
“I used to sip the whiskey and hit the bong
I gave that up, now all my friends are gone
And my folks don’t understand I ain’t no macho man
But I know how to write one hell of a song”
Mike Posner has good, but I wouldn’t say great vocals and his real strength lies in his songwriting. He even acknowledges this fact in “One Hell of a Song”. “I Took a Pill in Ibiza”, “Not That Simple”, “In the Arms of a Stranger”, and “Buried In Detroit” are when he’s at his best to me. The majority of the other songs are still well executed, it’s just that everything can seem to blur together and have you wanting for something a little more upbeat and different. I think he understands this fact and it’s probably why the bonus tracks are all dance remixes.
“I don’t claim to be a prophet
I just speak my mind
I try to tell it like it is
And sometimes God makes it rhyme
I like my songs how I like my women
Honest and to the point”
Have you heard the album? What’d you think about it? Were you expecting a more high energy album too? Let us know in the comments below and leave your rating for the album.