Columnist
Disclosure
Caracal
Label: PMR, Island Records
Released: 25 September 2015
Genre: House/ Deep House/ UK Garage
This album marks a pretty significant change in the Lawrence brothers’ sound. The heavy-hitting hooks and samples from their first record are replaced with traditional vocal performances given by a number of huge names in the modern pop scene. This combined with significantly slower tempos makes the album feel less like a dance record and more like a neo R&B attempt.
I think the beats the Lawrence brothers make here are really refreshing, given the oversaturation of the house scene that Disclosure helped to create. A lot of producers jumped back on the house bandwagon and tried to replicate the sound Disclosure found success with after Settle’s release in 2013.
"That sound is everywhere now, and every song's getting a little bit samey—the same old bass lines, the same old samples. We're a bit bored with it," Guy said in an interview with L.A. Times.
Musically this album is incredibly strong, but it is a definite departure from their first record, which might disappoint some listeners who were expecting another Settle.
The Lawrence brothers are really masters of production: Everything sounds crystal clear, and the warm R&B and jazz influences they work in are wonderful. The songs on this album are sleeker and much slower than most house/ deep house tracks, some almost down-tempo slow. The songs are full of lush synths, pristine shuffle-beats, and a rubber band bass that’s funky as hell. But often times the vocal deliveries, and the lack of any tangible hooks, make this LP fall a bit flat.
The first song on this record is Disclosure’s collaboration with pop’s newest sensation, the Weeknd.
Despite being a fan of the Weeknd, I couldn’t help but be pretty disappointed with “Nocturnal.” This song starts a trend that runs through the whole album: the tracks with features are plagued by dull lyrics and uninspired vocal deliveries that make them forgettable.
This happens on Lorde’s track “Magnets,” and again with the Miguel feature on “Good Intentions.” While the latter is more engaging, it’s still nothing remarkable. I think part of this has to do with the fact that Disclosure has completely abandoned hooks. There are choruses, sure, but few of them stand out; they just blend in with the rest of the track. Any one of these tracks could have been saved by just one catchy vocal melody or one clever lyric, but those things are absent.
There are a couple of songs on this LP that escape this pitfall though, and when this happens they’re great.
“Omen” with Sam Smith is a good example. I’ve read a couple of reviews that described “Omen” as a weaker copy of the Sam Smith song on Settle, “Latch.” That’s true to a certain extent. I doubt it’s going to become the hit that “Latch” was, but it’s still catchy and I think it holds up after multiple listens.
Another great feature was on “Superego.” The droplet-esque synth that starts the track grabs your attention and holds it until Nao takes over with a soulful croon that leads into a driving chorus.
There is not an overtly bad track on this record, just an abundance of average ones. When the tracks are good, they slap, but when they aren’t, they’re incredibly forgettable. This kind of inconsistency is a big issue for me, and I wound up skipping most of the songs with big names attached to them to get to the tracks I liked. I did find myself enjoying this record quite a bit more when I listened to it as mood or background music, the slower tempos and the overall smoothness of the sound allow for that; but I don’t know if that’s what Disclosure was going for.
I think the features are the biggest issue on Caracal; I know some who would say they show a total lack of creativity on Disclosure’s part since they seem to rely so heavily on star power. Maybe that’s true, but I feel like the beats and musicality that were present on Settle are on this record too.
Ultimately, maybe it’s a problem with whether or not this record is “danceable,” and that’s why it seems so average, especially after such an energetic debut. Because outside of a few tracks, I don’t think Caracal is danceable, at least not in a club. So it may just be a problem with what people, myself included, perceive Disclosure to be—a dance group—and what the Lawrences want—freedom from a label.
Caracal
Label: PMR, Island Records
Released: 25 September 2015
Genre: House/ Deep House/ UK Garage
Rating: 6/10
Standout Tracks: “Omen,” “Holding On,” “Willing & Able,” “Jaded,” “Superego”
Brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence make up the massively popular electronic duo Disclosure, and Caracal is the UK group’s follow up to their critically acclaimed debut Settle.
Standout Tracks: “Omen,” “Holding On,” “Willing & Able,” “Jaded,” “Superego”
Brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence make up the massively popular electronic duo Disclosure, and Caracal is the UK group’s follow up to their critically acclaimed debut Settle.
This album marks a pretty significant change in the Lawrence brothers’ sound. The heavy-hitting hooks and samples from their first record are replaced with traditional vocal performances given by a number of huge names in the modern pop scene. This combined with significantly slower tempos makes the album feel less like a dance record and more like a neo R&B attempt.
I think the beats the Lawrence brothers make here are really refreshing, given the oversaturation of the house scene that Disclosure helped to create. A lot of producers jumped back on the house bandwagon and tried to replicate the sound Disclosure found success with after Settle’s release in 2013.
"That sound is everywhere now, and every song's getting a little bit samey—the same old bass lines, the same old samples. We're a bit bored with it," Guy said in an interview with L.A. Times.
Musically this album is incredibly strong, but it is a definite departure from their first record, which might disappoint some listeners who were expecting another Settle.
The Lawrence brothers are really masters of production: Everything sounds crystal clear, and the warm R&B and jazz influences they work in are wonderful. The songs on this album are sleeker and much slower than most house/ deep house tracks, some almost down-tempo slow. The songs are full of lush synths, pristine shuffle-beats, and a rubber band bass that’s funky as hell. But often times the vocal deliveries, and the lack of any tangible hooks, make this LP fall a bit flat.
The first song on this record is Disclosure’s collaboration with pop’s newest sensation, the Weeknd.
Despite being a fan of the Weeknd, I couldn’t help but be pretty disappointed with “Nocturnal.” This song starts a trend that runs through the whole album: the tracks with features are plagued by dull lyrics and uninspired vocal deliveries that make them forgettable.
This happens on Lorde’s track “Magnets,” and again with the Miguel feature on “Good Intentions.” While the latter is more engaging, it’s still nothing remarkable. I think part of this has to do with the fact that Disclosure has completely abandoned hooks. There are choruses, sure, but few of them stand out; they just blend in with the rest of the track. Any one of these tracks could have been saved by just one catchy vocal melody or one clever lyric, but those things are absent.
There are a couple of songs on this LP that escape this pitfall though, and when this happens they’re great.
“Omen” with Sam Smith is a good example. I’ve read a couple of reviews that described “Omen” as a weaker copy of the Sam Smith song on Settle, “Latch.” That’s true to a certain extent. I doubt it’s going to become the hit that “Latch” was, but it’s still catchy and I think it holds up after multiple listens.
Another great feature was on “Superego.” The droplet-esque synth that starts the track grabs your attention and holds it until Nao takes over with a soulful croon that leads into a driving chorus.
Probably the best executions of this neo soul/ R&B sound Disclosure seems to be going for are on “Holding On” and “Willing & Able.” They both have really solid performances from Gregory Porter and Kwabs, respectively; they’re sexy and smooth and are propelled forward by some nice grooves and basslines.
There is not an overtly bad track on this record, just an abundance of average ones. When the tracks are good, they slap, but when they aren’t, they’re incredibly forgettable. This kind of inconsistency is a big issue for me, and I wound up skipping most of the songs with big names attached to them to get to the tracks I liked. I did find myself enjoying this record quite a bit more when I listened to it as mood or background music, the slower tempos and the overall smoothness of the sound allow for that; but I don’t know if that’s what Disclosure was going for.
I think the features are the biggest issue on Caracal; I know some who would say they show a total lack of creativity on Disclosure’s part since they seem to rely so heavily on star power. Maybe that’s true, but I feel like the beats and musicality that were present on Settle are on this record too.
Ultimately, maybe it’s a problem with whether or not this record is “danceable,” and that’s why it seems so average, especially after such an energetic debut. Because outside of a few tracks, I don’t think Caracal is danceable, at least not in a club. So it may just be a problem with what people, myself included, perceive Disclosure to be—a dance group—and what the Lawrences want—freedom from a label.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments, concerns, complaints? Put 'em here!