ENERGY / Disclosure / August 28, 2020
- Joshua Yoo
- Sep 4, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 13, 2020
Disclosure have taken on a wide variety of genre collaborations over the past couple of years, but of their own output, they have remained relatively quiet. Their last album release having been five years ago, the duo finally returns with a concise collection of eclectic, genre-blending tracks, producing a wide range of moods and emotions at a consistently enjoyable rate.
Delivering again on their infectiously moving dance numbers, Disclosure starts their album with a ton of energy, with choppy synths and a driving 4/4 drums to bring any listener to their feet (“Lavender”). Their fortes in house and drum ‘n’ bass reflect throughout the tracklist, utilizing consistent sound textures in creative structures differing from song to song (“Who Knew?”).
But as gravitating as their sound is, this album, like any other Disclosure album, finds its voice through the vast multitude of featured artists. Seemingly more than ever before, they have continued to stretch their electronic styles to further-reaching genres, and while not every single attempt pans out, a pleasingly majority of them do. The shifty bass lines, punchy synth patterns, and vocals from Diawara send a nice sonic tribute to the country of its inspiration (“Douha (Mali Mali)”), while the exhilaratingly chaotic rap number formulates easily one of the most exciting listens in a long while (“My High”). And their unexpected endeavor into R&B turns quite fruitful with a very slick and soulful electro-soul duet, punctuated by two passionate vocal performances from Syd and Kehlani (“Birthday”).
Admittedly not every single square inch of this album is able to retain the kind of energy the all-caps album title leads on, but at its highest, Disclosure is able to so convincingly meld their electronic ingredients to the recipes of their enlisted artists and curate a captivating assortment of treats.
Best Track(s): Birthday, My High, Douha (Mali Mali) , Lavender
Lowlight(s): Reverie, Ce n’est pas
SCORE: 7/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFtk274nHX4
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