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Album of the Week: Disclosure, 'ENERGY'

Disclosure, 'Energy'
Disclosure, 'Energy'Universal/Island Records Ltd
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by David Safar

August 31, 2020

Last week, Disclosure released the album we all needed to close out the summer. ENERGY is their third studio full-length effort that builds on the duo's foundation as one of the U.K.'s most important musical exports.

When the Lawrence brothers came onto the radar of EDM fans in the U.S., they were among a crop of acts trying to stand apart from an emerging trend in electronic music. They were distinct from the start with their future garage that bridged the subgenres of dance culture. They carried forward the cerebral experience of intelligent dance music from the '90s, but updated it to meet the needs of festivalgoers worldwide.

The two-time Grammy nominees closed out their tour of Caracal in 2018 to get back to the studio. Fans did not anticipate they would return with a deluxe album, ENERGY. If not for the pandemic, Disclosure would be headlining shows across the world with their lengthy (1 hour and 22 minutes) new set of songs that feature appearances from Kelis, Common, Khalid, and Slow Thai.

Yet, ENERGY comes at the perfect moment because Disclosure continue to embrace the concept of IDM by making an album that is so much more than a banger. With only a handful of tracks longer than 5 minutes, the duo show off their ability to write songs over sequenced dance tracks. ENERGY has flavors of classic sound, R&B, modern pop, and the depth of an avant-garde jazz record. There are moments when you'll forget you're listening to a dance record as it takes twists and turns in and out of world beat leaving you hanging on for more.

Disclosure's new album ENERGY is out now.

Disclosure - official site