Disclosure — ENERGY — Album Review
Dance | Electronic | House
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
Note: This will be a review of the deluxe edition of Disclosure’s ENERGY, which means that all of the tracks on the deluxe version will contribute to the overall verdict on the album.
2020 has seen the Reigate-raised electronic duo Disclosure release their third studio album. Titled ENERGY, it has definitely been quite the long-awaited project for me. I can safely say that I have been quite the fan of Disclosure ever since their debut album Settle arrived in 2013.
The main thing that I really admired about Disclosure is just how accessible their EDM inspired tunes sounded, and just how perfect of a musical balance they achieve between having the energetic vibe of your typical style of EDM, but also feel as catchy and as commercial as chart-topping pop numbers.
After the fantastic debut project that was Settle, we were treated to another album in 2015, that being the sophomore album Caracal. I found myself having a more vanilla feeling towards that album, and while there are definitely some gems to pick out of that project, it felt as if that perfect balance between dance and pop was leaning more towards a biasedly pop side of things.
And while there have been some listens to enjoy between then and now, it wouldn’t be until a full five years on until we hear the next studio album from the electro-dance duo.
Having technically been the first track to tease the album, “Ecstasy” definitely sparked something promising, by re-balancing the scales slightly with its more dance-heavy composition. But more importantly, it was an incredibly enjoyable track, in a nicely straight-forward way. In other words, it didn’t feel too gimmicky; it just sounds unmistakably like something from Disclosure.
The teaser tracks that followed only set my hopes higher for this album, and as well as sounding a lot more like a reversion back to the likes of Settle, but it also sounds like it would be a homage to all of the nostalgic dance beats that the two brothers, and myself, grew up listening to.
The deluxe edition of this album features a whopping 20 tracks (including remixes) on its two discs. And while the second (that pretty much makes up the “deluxe” part of this project) is more dedicated to the remixes, there are still a lot of noteworthy bangers, such as the aforementioned “Ecstasy”.
But on the subject of noteworthy tracks, there seem to be too many to mention. The enjoyment I got out of this album certainly didn’t stop at the teasers; there is a wide variety of amazing tracks with different moods to them. Even the interludes on this album were great, and they have possibly served as my favourite set of interludes I have heard on an album this year.
The only case of tracks that I didn’t enjoy as much on this album were the few that seemed to have their musical weight carried out mostly by the features. And while Disclosure lay down a basic beat, the melody of the track is mostly down to the featured artist. Offenders included the likes of “Ce n’est pas” and “Etran”.
Furthering the connection between this album and Disclosure’s previous work, we get to see the return of previous features such as motivational speaker Eric Thomas, who appeared on the iconic Disclosure tune “When A Fire Starts To Burn”, as well as Fatoumata Diawara, who appeared on the 2018 single “Ultimatum”. But they haven’t shied away from bringing a few new features on-board, such as slowthai, Kelis, and several more.
Having bagged a ticket for their March 2021 set in London the night before the album’s release, it definitely amplifies the hype up to 11, and I felt myself really embracing the energy that…well…ENERGY had packed into it.
And while I would have to agree that the deluxe content of this album does feel a bit more underwhelming than the likes of the base album, I still believe that it is a vital part of having the full-blown and wholesome experience of Disclosure in 2020.
I feel that this album’s title couldn’t have been more apt, as the carnival like atmosphere of this awesome album is bound to keep the summer vibes alive, just as that season is set to dwindle out into Autumn.
Favourite Tracks: My High | Reverie | Tondo
Least Favourite Track: Ce n’est pas
Island Records | Universal Music Operations
