Disclosure – Caracal Review

Can the brothers from Reigate, Surrey continue their rise in the House Music scene with this release?

Usually it’s hard for artists to experiment with a new sound for their sophomore album without straying away from the sound that made them… them. With the release of Caracal, Disclosure does indeed usher in a new sound, all the while keeping their signature sound from their first album, Settle.

Just like Settle, Caracal has a cast of who’s who for features. Laced with twelve tracks, The Weeknd, Sam Smith, Gregory Porter, LION BABE, Kwabs, Lorde, Miguel, Nao, Jordan Rakei, and Brendan Reilly all make memorable appearances throughout.

The 80’s sounding Nocturnal (feat. The Weeknd) kicks off the album. Disclosure handles the beat, while The Weeknd sings about the oh so “horrible” insomnia and midnight blues. The track features heavy bass, 808 drums and smooth transitions. Nocturnal sets the tone on what the rest of the album will sound like.

Holding On (Feat. Gregory Porter) brings that signature Disclosure sound back and proves why it was chosen as the lead single for this album. This track features strong vocals from Gregory Porter, belting out lyrics about how his past has bruised him, but as the title of the track says he’s “holding on”. The production on this track is out of this world – pulsating drums, snares, and hi-hats are all here. Personally, this is my favorite track on the album.

Track four, Hourglass (feat. LION BABE) really shows the true talents of Disclosure. It seems as the brothers did their research on what type of sound they wanted to include on this album – as this track takes from Chicago’s early house music scene. LION BABE does an outstanding job on delivering the vocals with that a pulsating beat mixed with a heavy influence from Chicago’s house music blaring behind her. This track that would make all Chicago house DJs proud. Definitely give this track a listen.

Something completely new to this album is that the duo actually lends their own vocals to four tracks. The strongest showing would be on the track Echoes. The focus of the song is about being so in love with someone who doesn’t feel the same. Echoes has a fast tempo that all shufflers will most appreciate.

Fans of house music and EDM will be pleased with this album. Caracal does feature some of the same sound and elements from Disclosure’s debut, Settle, but Caracal has a more of mainstream sound. To fully experience this album, one must have great headphones or a great sound system, as you do not want to miss out on the awesome beats and drops that will you keep you on the edge of your seat. Go out and give Caracal a listen as it has something for everyone.

– Journalist Without A Beat

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