Ellie Goulding, U.K. pop darling, has released two albums, “Lights” (2010) and “Halcyon” (2012) to wild success in the clubbing circuit and the top charts. When she announced the release of “Delirium,” nobody knew what to expect—would she build off some of the darker tones expressed on “Halcyon,” or would she stick to the brighter, grandiose pop of “Lights?”

“Delirium,” released Nov. 6, strays from some of the darkness expressed in her previous work and hits the audience hard with solid pop songs such as “Aftertaste,” the second track on the album. While Goulding seems to be sticking to a more pure pop, that doesn’t mean the British synthpop artist shouldn’t be taken seriously—“Delirium” is a good blend of some fast-beat, nearly overwhelming, club tunes and songs that are destined for the Top 40 (such as the already smash single “Love Me Like You Do”).

Goulding also recruited some top-notch names to work with on “Delirium,” including American producer and writer Greg Kurstin, who has worked with the likes of Billy Idol and Adele, and Swedish writer and producer Peter Svensson, who worked on The Weeknd’s “Beauty Behind the Madness.” Kurstin produced “Delirium” and wrote on “Aftertaste” and “Holding On For Life,” two notably strong tracks. Svensson wrote on only one tune, “Don’t Need Nobody,” but it’s a great one—the track is perfectly suited for the high energy of dance clubs, and the slower bridge builds up to a grinding chorus that wants to make the audience move. Not every song on the album is fast-paced and climactic—“Army,” a sweet love song about a relationship having the strength of a military, slows it down with ethereal backing vocals and powerful notes.

While the album does host strong tracks, it also has some weaker tracks such as “Around U,” which is lukewarm and nearly forgettable. When Goulding hits the mark, she hits it hard, but when she fails, the product is mediocre. Some tunes are formulaic, but the rest are fantastic, synth-laden dance-pop.

Overall, “Delirium” boasts a smattering of well-made and well-written hits, but also features some not-so-special tracks that listeners will likely skip over. Despite the weak points of the album, “Delirium” has just enough strong songs to make it a good, even great, dance-pop album.

Goulding recently announced a tour in support of the album, and will feature openers Years & Years. The tour is stopping at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield next April, so snag some tickets before they sell out.

Favorite Tracks: “Don’t Need Nobody,” “Aftertaste,” “Something In The Way You Move“