The best electronic album of 2013 wasn’t Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories.” It was “Settle,” Disclosure’s undeniable debut that was one of the year’s strongest records, period. Initially, the electronic duo of brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence appeared to have all-too-familiar references—U.K. garage and Chicago house—that seemed contrived considering the two, just 18 and 21, respectively, at the time, only started making music a couple years prior. However, any “culture vulture” concerns quickly disappeared when the progressive and easily digestible debut became a near-instant classic for new fans and hard-to-please diehards alike.
“Caracal,” Disclosure’s second full-length (which is named after an African cat that’s one of Howard Lawrence’s favorite animals), continues to balance the mainstream’s love of gripping pop hooks with a crate-digger’s love for classic dance music textures. There’s not going to be a breakout single like “Latch,” the career-making hit that featured then-unknown balladeer Sam Smith, and that’s not really a bad thing. Here the tempos are slowed, allowing songs to breathe and develop. If your favorite tracks on “Settle” were high-energy charge-ups like “You & Me” instead of more pop-minded fare like “White Noise,” the follow-up might feel like a disappointment before more patient listening. After multiple tries, though, you realize the songs Howard Lawrence sings, such as “Echoes” and “Jaded,” which calls out the band’s EDM peers (“We know what you’re made of/Now your time has passed you by”), show a confident vocalist able to match the bombastic synths and bass in pure swagger—vast improvements from his wobbly turn on “Settle” track “F For You.”
Where “Settle” had U.K.-centric credits with Smith, AlunaGeorge and Jessie Ware (among others), “Caracal,” due to Disclosure’s increased stature, is a much more global affair. Canada’s The Weeknd opens the album on the sprawling “Nocturnal,” Smith returns for single “Omen,” New Zealand electro-pop star and fellow 2013 breakout artist Lorde appears on “Magnets” and California crooner Miguel joins for “Good Intentions.” Surprisingly, these big names end up making the smallest mark. “Omen” fails to match the effortlessness of “Latch” despite Smith’s best efforts (read: over-singing). Even Lorde, whose pairing with Disclosure seems like a match made in heaven, doesn’t grow much from “Pure Heroine.” Same goes for The Weeknd, who delivers a weaker version of his seedy R&B status quo.
That said, “Caracal” does shine and often brightly. Lesser-known collaborators such as Nao, who wails on the kiss-off smash “Superego,” and Lion Babe, the New York soul duo who absolutely nails the vocals on “Hourglass,” both serve as potent reminders how two unknowns can become the biggest names in dance music in less than a year.
2.5 stars (out of four)
In concert: Oct. 15 at Navy Pier
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