Disclosure
Caracal
Capitol
Disclosure has played a big part, consciously and unconsciously, in the pop scene’s ongoing house revival. Since the monstrous success of “Latch,” a new house-pop upstart enters the charts every day: Kiesza, Clean Bandit, Jess Glynne, etc. So, it’s hard to fault the duo for Caracal’s musical complacency. While a good chunk of the record is middling, there are a few moments that compete with Settle. The LION BABE-feature “Hourglass” has a subverted, post-chorus breakdown that’s Disclosure at their best. The R&B/garage fusion, “Willing & Able,” is wonderfully smooth and sensual. But th-se are exceptions. A lot of the record falls back on features or heavy pop hooks (check the “Latch” retread, “Omen”). In doing so, the duo loses what originally made them idiosyncratic. It’s not a bad record, per se. It’s just happens to rest on its laurels.
