2013’s Settle, the debut album from producers Guy and Howard Lawrence, AKA Disclosure, helped cement dance music’s current domination, offering a finessed alternative tothe perceived crash, bang, wallop of EDM. Follow-up Caracal replicates that album’s template – dinner-party deep house, bubbling UK garage, a smattering of guest vocalists – but, for the most part, loses its personality. Too often the songs feel either overly familiar (the Sam Smith-assisted Omen, the AlunaGeorge-esque Superego), or strangely undercooked. Thankfully the big-name guests step up to the plate, specifically Miguel on the hazy Good Intentions; the Weeknd, who continues his pop trajectory on Nocturnal; and Lorde, who slinks playfully around Magnets’ subtle electro shuffle. Overall, however, Caracal is an early sign a shake-up may be needed.
