Album Review: Robin Packalen - Rest in Beat AM

Finnish star Robin Packalen is back with his latest EP, Rest in Beat AM, clearly a successor to his Rest in Beat PM. However, the EP stands out on its own as one of the best collections of music released this year. Thus, there were no two ways, this EP needed a review.

Rest in Beat

Rest in Beat opens the album with an extreme level of energy. The song seems to be about someone who hates to do anything except 'rest in beat', presumably enjoying music exclusively.

At a little over two-and-a-half minutes, Rest in Beat has little time to make an impact, and it wastes not a single second. From moment one, the funky baseline is evident. It leads to an anti-drop, which is one of the most clever fake-outs in years. Choosing to explode just at the right moment.

The drop chorus is utterly massive, surging forward with unheard levels of ambition. With each electronic element exploding. Each and every time it returns, it comes grander than ever, exploding for the climax.

Rating: 9/10

Hard to Love ft. Alex Mattson

Hard to Love is one of the album's singles, and a perfect follow-up to Rest in Beat. Compared to the speedy energy and fun that the first song brought, Hard to Love adds a level of melodramatic euphoria to the album, courtesy of producer Alex Mattson.

From the speedy and nimble EDM beat to Robin's pained and hopeful delivery, Hard to Love is pure eurodance euphoria. The stunning chorus is truly the icing on the cake, exploding with hidden potential.

Rating: 9/10

Curtain Call

Now we reach the two middle tracks of the album, starting with Curtain Call. From the song's three-and-a-half-minute runtime, the first minute-and-half all build to the chorus drop. Given how ambitious this is, the subsequent drop is a little underwhelming.

Nonetheless, the groovy and subtle beat, along with the stunning bassline, is worth the price of admission.

Rating: 8.25/10

Sucker For That Love Ft. SAAY

Sucker For That Love pairs Robin with former EvoL member SAAY (yes, an ex-Kpop star!). The song is not too different from the rest of the album, but is easily the album's best track, with a level of casual groove that is hard to reach.

The mixing is impeccable, with SAAY, Robin, and the instrumentation blending perfectly. Even if it would be better if SAAY and Robin sang as different characters with different lines, they go together perfectly. The climax where Robin ad-libs over SAAY's voice is quite amazing.

The anti-drop is quite similar to Dua Lipa's mega-hit Don't Start Now, but forms it own identity with the groovy post-chorus. Along with the productional additions, this song is truly something special.

If you don't have time to listen to the whole album, Sucker For That Love is a perfect highlight instead.

Rating: 9/10

I'm Not Cool

Following up Sucker For That Love is hard, especially with a song sharing a title with one of the year's worst songs, but I'm Not Cool is a rare highlight to pull this off. Compared to the fast-pacing thoughout the rest of the album, I'm Not Cool is slow and subtle, building from nothing to something. This approach works not too differently from One Last Kiss, easily one of the year's best songs.

I'm Not Cool fails to reach the level of euphoria from that modern Hikaru Utada classic, but works nonetheless, through its subtle build. The instrumental is a whole lot more poppy, with the flourishes adding to the song incredibly. Robin's smooth delivery is some additional benefits to the song.

Rating: 9/10

Never Let You Down

In my personal opinion, I'm Not Cool would have been a perfect conclusion for the album, and Never Let You Down would have been better as a penultimate song. Either way, Never Let You Down is a fine track. Its propulsive energy is perfect for a late-night drive.

Its weird vocoder usage is far from perfect, but the rest of the song is still solid. The fade-out conclusion is a weakness, but the stunning base melody is quite incredible on its own.

Rating: 8.5/10

Overall Rating: 8.79/10

Yes, I have stopped rounding the album scores!

Robin's latest EP is a solid collection of A-Grade songs, with more than one 9+ highlight. Retro bass and EDM dominate the album, but with a funky ambition and wind range of styles derived from one genre. With a level of cohesion rarely seen from EPs, Rest in Beat AM really outdoes its first half, continuing Robin's current quality streak.

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