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Disclosure's sophomore album Caracal is officially released on Friday and while we've heard a lot of the album now some of the most anticipated tracks are yet to be released (the ones featuring Lorde, The Weeknd and Miguel for instance). Sydney dance crew No Lights No Lycra threw a listening party last night so that we could preview the album in full but it wasn't your average listening party. They switched the lights off and left us completely in the dark, as they do for their weekly dance-offs, and let us soak up the album on the dancefloor - exactly where it should be consumed.
From the opening minutes of the album to its dying beats, the crowd went hard to the record cheering between songs and raising the applause for the moments within each song that particularly stood it out. Though we couldn't see anyone, it was a good way to judge each song and see whether the Disclosure boys had been successful in crafting a record for dance floors around the world once more. Here's a track by track run-through Caracal.
Nocturnal (The Weeknd)
The bass on this one hits you immediately. It set the tone of a dark album and The Weeknd is the perfect house for Caracal's opening number. His vocals howl really cutting through in the chorus as Disclosure up the density. Maybe it was because it was the first song but the crowd latched onto this one from the first beat and were kept entertained for the entirety of its near seven minute length.
Omen (Feat. Sam Smith)
This one is the biggest single to date of Omen although it didn't immediately grab people like their last collaboration Latch did. It's a definite slow-burner but it sounds really good with a bunch of fans singing along to it. The chorus, which first sounded a bit limp, really benefitted from a bit of volume and energy. This is sure to become an anthem when they're in the country for Falls Festival at the end of the year.
Holding On (Feat. Gregory Porter)
This was the first taster of the album and it's probably the most Settle-esque song on the album. Out loud Porter's vocals sound ridiculously good, helped along by perhaps the most effortlessly danceable beat on the album. The first time we heard this we critiqued it for being too similar to their previous work but on an album like Caracal where the duo have switched up the tempo a bit this one actually stands out.
Hourglass (Feat. Lion Babe)
Lion Babe are a new duo on the scene but the vocals are just so perfect for a Disclosure track. This one is probably the sexiest on the album with a slinky vocal complimented by lush synths running through the instrumental. It's a definite throwback to '90s deep house diva anthems and that's exactly what Disclosure needed to bring at this point in the album given how male-dominated its start is.
Willing & Able (Feat. Kwabs)
Kwabs is another vocalist who you could've almost picked as a perfect vocalist for this album before the tracklist was even announced. The tempo is slowed down here a little from the last track but Kwabs' vocals are so rich and soulful that it's pretty hard to deny that euphoric chorus. Even though this has only been out for a few weeks, the crowd was very receptive, taking that chorus straight to church. This one probably won't excite festival crowds but it's a hearty singalong for diehard fans.
Magnets (Feat. Lorde)
From the second the vocals started on this track and everybody realised it was Lorde, everybody cheered. This is the big feature on the album and perhaps the most anticipated track and it was actually worth the wait. Lorde sounds a little different in the verses like she's using a slightly higher register but it works and the pre-chorus on this is a glorious pop moment. Disclosure are definitely going for some more pop song structures on the record rather than aiming for all-out club bangers and it's helping to make Caracal a little more diverse than settle. At this point in the album, Magnets was by far the most well received track so far.
Jaded
Jaded is the first song on the album that doesn't have a feature. That means the crowd were judging it purely as a song rather than on the artist it featured and it faired extremely well. This is one of the album's biggest moments with a chorus that swells with energy. That trademark Disclousre beat drives it and Howard Lawrence's vocals are actually some of the more captivating on the album. This was an unexpected favourite.
Good Intentions (Feat. Miguel)
Another big feature and bit of a change in the energy on the album. This one is the first track where the chorus steps down a bit instead of escalating which wouldn't really work if it were in the hands of anyone but Miguel. His vocals really suit the more atmospheric vibe of this song although at the start it's pretty hard to even tell that it's Miguel - the vocals are so manicured. It's not until he says "yeah, baby" that some of his personality shines through. It's definitely not one for the dance floor and that made it one of the more forgettable tracks.
Superego (Feat. Nao)
There were a few moments were you could feel everybody going "awww, banger" and this was one of them. Nao is one of the lesser-known features on the album but her vocal on this has a real attitude to it. The tempo is slower than most of the album but the track has an undeniable strength to it and that comes from a combination of the groove-driven instrumental and Nao's flawless vocal. You could hear people starting to sing the song's hook, "You don't like it, you don't like it, I tell you how it is you don't like it," by the end of the song.
Echoes
Disclosure are back on vocals with this one but unfortunately it doesn't really add much to the record. It's a solid club banger but it's surrounded by two excellent tunes. At the end we overheard someone say, "I don't even remember that one," and that says it all really.
Masterpiece (Feat. Jordan Rakei)
Masterpiece is the closer and it features Aussie Jordan Rakei on vocals. Stylistically it's the most different on the album and it's definitely not made for the clubs but it's pretty damn spectacular. It sounds like what Disclosure would've done if they produced the latest D'Angelo record. It's really funky and soulful but it's bound together by Disclosure's glossy, house-inspired production. The guitars are woozy and the beat is dizzying. It all feels very lovesick but it's brilliant. One of their most adventurous and successful cuts yet.
