So Far So Good

How does an EDM-pop duo evolve when their genre’s mainstream popularity has come and gone? In the case of The Chainsmokers, it is an equation of constant innovation—pushing programmed electronics into atypical rhythms, pulling from eclectic vocal melodies. On their fourth full-length LP, Drew Taggart and Alex Pall demonstrate their veterancy with the emo-pop Auto-Tuned harmonies of “Riptide,” the plucky acoustic guitar melodies of a melodramatic blink-182 song amplified by a bright bass drop on “High,” the hyperpop detours of “Maradona,” the surprising interlope of Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory classic “Pure Imagination” on “Testing,” and the R&B-pop “Solo Mission.” Conceptually, it is an album about mental difference and the intricacies of human relationship—but beyond that, it is a delightful listen, full of unexpected turns from a band that’s never been afraid of pushing the envelope.