English house duo Disclosure broke through in 2014, earning a mainstream following because of the success of “Latch.” It seemed like an unlikely combo — the purity of Sam Smith’s voice would surely be corrupted by the synthesized, artificial sound of electronica.
One of the band’s trademarks is a white facial outline it superimposes over real faces – you’ll see this on many album covers. Disclosure’s talent lies in stripping songs down to their primal “outline” and using the wide variety of sounds that electronic music has to offer in order to enhance the meaning of the song and make it even more viscerally emotive.
“Latch” strikes this balance – the electronic part somehow complements Smith’s falsetto, making the song sounding even more primal and real.
Caracal strikes this balance as well. You’ll hear it in the abrupt staccato chords and the erratic bass that sputters like a dying heartbeat in “Good Intentions,” giving the listener the same sense of disappointment described in the song. It’s in the sharp, resentful hissing sound that persists through “Jaded” and in the metallic sounding clinks and pops in “Magnets.” And anyone who has ever experienced insomnia is all too familiar with the frustration that is represented by the erratic, restless motif in “Nocturnal.”
My favorite song, however, is “Holding On,” which exemplifies Disclosure’s mastery of unity – Gregory Porter’s voice, while it oscillates between faint and strong, perseveres completely – while maintaining the ebullience that characterized Disclosure’s first album Settle and is noticeably missing from Caracal.
Disclosure’s star-studded sophomore album does justice to its featured artists, who neither overpower their respective songs nor feel like forced inclusions. Sam Smith’s “Omen” is mildly disappointing after “Latch,” but is respectable nonetheless, effectively channeling both Smith’s soul and vocal prowess, while “Magnets” featuring Lorde is remarkably continuous with her projected image as queen of the underdogs. The lyrics in Caracal’s songs are also admirable feats of songwriting that could respectably stand alone but, again, are effectively enhanced through Disclosure’s musical choices.
Again, all of this is testament to Disclosure’s mastery of unity. They’ve filled a niche that no one realized existed that brings electronic music into the mainstream and shows the public how beautifully it complements the pop and R&B they are used to. However, Caracal almost feels too perfect – every song feels so perfectly constructed that, if you don’t listen closely, they all blend together.
The first song on Settle is one called “When a Fire Starts to Burn,” which is as aggressive and heartbeat-quickening as it sounds. This unpredictable, impulsive tone is echoed throughout Settle, which contrary to its name, never dies down.
In an interview with Billboard, band member Guy Lawrence expressed his surprise at the success of “Latch.” ”We thought ‘Latch’ was too weird for the radio and not clubby enough for the clubs … It’s in 6/8 time — not even 4/4, which is house’s tempo.” It was precisely this unpredictability and uniqueness, however, that made the single so successful. Caracal, in some respects, tries too hard to cater to the mainstream, and loses its star power in the process.
