When he previewed over forty minutes of studio material at Ultra back in March, Avicii faced flak from ravers to tweeters for crossing over to the dark (country) side. However, the 23-year old phenomenon stuck to his guns and promised that it would all make sense once his new album dropped. With True, a supernova of diverse sounds, Avicii has silenced all his critics and shown them that nobody puts Timmy in a corner.

It isn’t rare for artists to have a metamorphic album. Is True Avicii’s? Not really. Like the album title, Avicii has stayed true to his sound. Most of the tracks on his new release are the ecstasy-inducing kind; it’s just his versatility that’s peaked. This is Avicii the musician, the master of elements. This is Avicii worldwide, genrewide.

This album is beautifully and inventively thought. Each song sounds like it belongs to a different era, ranging from the 80’s to the future. It’s almost as if Avicii fast-forwarded to the end of his career and released a compilation of his best tracks, showcasing all his styles. Not to say that True signals the end of Avicii’s career. Au contraire, the album is a beacon not just for Avicii the artist, but Avicii the producer.

Characterized by wanderlust, True leaves footprints on a range of genres, blending soul, folk, funk, bluegrass, country and rock with dance music. This isn’t an experiment, this is expertise. With True, Avicii’s been able to spread the love for EDM to non-listeners without betraying his fans.

Not as club thumping as Levels, the tracks on True are more the arms-aloft kind. With tracks that are seamlessly connected by Avicii’s fluency in fusion, he shocks audiences by actually using instruments. Prepare to have your mind blown by saxophones, violins and guitars.

The album opens with the contagious Wake Me Up, a track which gallops from country to dance, much like its music video. On You Make Me, Salem Al Fakir, Avicii’s muse and the crooner on Silhouettes, goes from soulful to almost punk, complimented an infectious melody. Another country infusion, Hey Brother, is just awesomely euphoric because it turns preaching into a dance track.

Mid-album, Avicii spreads his feathers, with the seductively danceable Addicted To You, indie-electronic Liar Liar, and pure progressive Hope There’s Someone. Special mentions to Heart Upon My Sleeve, a slow burning track with violin crescendos, and Dear Boy, which sounds a little like the debutant Avicii.

For those who like a good build up and a hot mess of sounds, there’s Shame On Me, which keeps you guessing about its progression till the end. One of the crown jewels of the album, Lay Me Down is a testament to the belief that good things come in threes. Integrating the sexy vocals of iconic Adam Lambert and a bass line of guitar legend Nile Rodgers with Avicii’s clean beats, this track is an instant foot tapper. The album wraps up with the Bakermat-esque Long Road to Hell, and Avicii’s tribute to EDM, the aptly titled EDOM.

To all the sceptics, True may be a new spin on dance music, but that’s what DJs do, they keep spinning. True is Avicii’s rite of passage, blaring on the speakers that the wunderkind is no longer a kid. When it comes to his music, Avicii has left us with only one prophecy: to expect the unexpected.