He did not create disco.
Being hailed as the new Mylo may have enabled Calvin Harris to achieve fame and recognition a bit quicker than may have been expected but is it a realistic claim, and if that, will it do him any favours?
Lets look at the evidence for this claim. First of all, they are both Scottish. Whether that's a good thing or not is down to personal taste but as theres been a bit of debate raging about the suitability of a Scot being the British Prime Minister, lets not get bogged down in the merits of a couple of DJ / musicians. Both acts also rose from the ranks of bedroom artist to make a breakthrough and if the British public likes anything, then it's a rags to riches story. After that, there is the whole commercial electronic sound they are peddling with one eye on making the charts and their fortune. So yes, in all fairness and as much as comparisons can be lazy, its easy to see why Calvin Harris is being touted as the new Mylo.
Its common denominator stuff and it will soundtrack the summer for may folk, with songs about secret stashes and stuff to be taken, all the different types of girls to be admired and a few knowing references to the music world itself, Harris covers the sex and drugs and rock n roll trilogy repeatedly, allowing him to appeal to those who like their guitars and have a quiet distrust of dance music.
Its dance music light but its commercial and will appeal across the board. On 'This Is The Industry' the bass-line stomp has all the panache and elegance of Daft Punk but in so much of a way that it comes across as more of a pastiche. And its little moments like this that gives the impression that Calvin Harris is pretty realistic in the market he is aiming for, he is going for the mainstream by using some familiar dance music classic sounds and watering them down a bit for a more general consumption. He isn't the first and he won't be the last to take something great and dilute it for the mainstream.
Harris has courted a bit of controversy with recent single 'The Girls.' As was rightly pointed out by a friend, Mr. Harris makes reference to many different type of girls but has blatantly ignored the red-headed girl. Its all down to personal preference and given the lengthy list of girls who do claim to be liked, its obvious that some girls have to miss out but there has been a few eyebrows raised in some quarters about this latest slap in the face for the fiery-coloured females. It is a classic chorus though, no doubt being replayed and re-sung all over the country and for all the focus is on his music, Harris has not a bad vocal delivery that works well.
With 'Acceptable In The 80's' acting as a huge battering ram for this record (anyone who has heard the radio this year has probably heard the song), theres probably an element of shooting fish in a barrel for Harris, as his fanbase will already be defined and mapped out. To his credit, its not as if 'I Created Disco' has just been thrown together to cash in on the success, it's a fully-thought out album and has its moments up until the end. A song like 'Vegas' still has enough of the elements to create a wow on dance floors up and down the country, although apart from his own-live set, its unlikely the track will be played anywhere apart from someones living room.
And that's the point of this record, its largely dance music for people who don't go out clubbing, the people who still refer to it as "the dancing." Theres no shame in that, it's a large market with disposable income and, like many acts before him, Calvin Harris has pulled out a record which will define the year and will soundtrack half the nations weekend activities.