To me this is the album I hoped they would make after seeing and hearing "Alone" on "A Sound Relief". Something in that song "got to me". I liked the more "dance"-influences and use of synthesizers. Not that "Disclosure" is a "dance" album... But I don't think it's a coincedence that with Frank being the main songwriter on this album the layers of synthesizers, loops and effects are more dominant than on "The West Pole". And like on "Alone" it all works for me. There are some nice grooves, lots of great melodies and most songs are what I think of as two-part songs: there's the first part, a bridge or modulation and then a second part. "Paper Waves", "Meltdown", "Heroes For Ghosts", "I Can See Four Miles" all have that structure more or less. But never does it sound like a cheap trick. The melodies stay strong, there are some great climaxes and a few long stretched fades. The band is/was in prime form and I especially like the sound and performance of Silje. The production and sound of the album is also of a high quality. It all sounds crisp and clear, there are many layers which make multiple listens (and headphones!
) recommended and all the more enjoyable.
Short and simple: I cannot find any song or anything on this album that I don't like. There are some favourites, of course, but there are NO tracks at all I'd like to skip, just some I want to repeat more than others.
Love the artwork also. It fits really well with the music.
And like "City From Above", "Afterlights" is an excellent companion disc.