The prodigal son of dance has returned for another round. After solidifying himself as a tactile and skilled producer with his Actual Life trilogy, Fred again.. is back to build on his momentum with ten days, another solid installment in his catalog.

With the Actual Life series, Fred ballooned from a best-kept-secret artist into a full-fledged star known for his ability to breathe intimacy and humanity into dance, a genre usually reserved for big sounds and big escapism. Mentored by family friend Brian Eno, Fred’s greatness lies in his ability to flip any sound into a symphony and do it at the drop of a hat. There’s no knocking Fred’s technique — his raw abilities as a producer are undeniable. At his best, his work combines techniques that might be dubbed “experimental” — pulling iPhone voicenotes, everyday sounds, and ambient production techniques — and warp them into club-ready hits.

Indeed, what made the Actual Life series so exciting and so fresh for the electronic world was that even though it had the polish of a high-brow, major-label release, it nonetheless, at its core, felt like a DIY project. Fred pulled in a whole host of fellow artists and friends — 070 Shake, Dermot Kennedy, Angie McMahon, and the list goes on — to grow the project into a community effort with genuine heart. Tracks like “Delilah (pull me out of this),” “Danielle (smile on my face),” and “Me (heavy)” are earnest and anthemic, turning sadness and heartbreak into catharsis. As a series, it felt spontaneous, uplifting, and achingly true.

On ten days, the Actual Life spirit persists. Fred brings for this project another buzzy cast of characters, one-upping himself again. CHIKA, Japanese House, Skrillex, Four Tet, Anderson .Paak, Sampha, and Emmylou Harris all make appearances here, though some admittedly work better than others. The album presents ten tracks that are meant to represent ten days of Fred’s life, some high, some low. While he’s spent the better part of the last year traveling the world playing sold-out shows and sitting front row at the music world’s biggest events, these songs, he says, are about the small, quiet moments that impacted him the most. Each track is preceded by an interlude voicenote or small sonic morsel, an interesting creative choice that makes for a playthrough experience that makes the listener feel like they’re actually attending a Fred again.. set.

Despite these high points, ten days occasionally feels like an album of more of the same. Admittedly, he’s set the bar incredibly high for himself. Having burst onto the scene as a proven innovator, his homeostasis already sits a cut above the rest. But while some of Fred’s previous work felt like it just poured out of him because it had to, some of ten days feels more contrived. While tracks like “ten” and “glow,” for example, are ear candy, they at times fade into the background, lacking some of the emotional power that makes you want to stop in your tracks, the kind that makes Fred at his best so great.

Surely, the high points of this album will go on to become stars in their own right. Tracks like “fear less,” “places to be,” “adore you,” and “backseat,” will probably, deservedly soundtrack many late-night drives, parties with friends, and festivals. If anything, ten days works generally quite well. It’s a fun album and an interesting one. It just might not be that creative apex that we know Fred again.. can reach.

Order Ten Days by Fred Again HERE