Yes, there’s been instrumental EPs and tracks here and there, as well as select samples from eras gone by, but Alchemy
is the first full record in which they truly go at it alone. It’s a bold choice for the duo, and a step in a new direction to keep things fresh. However, it raises the question: can they hold their own? After all, that’s how they started, right?
The answer to that question lies somewhere in the record, and with it being clearly split into two sections, there’s almost two answers. The first half of the album is familiar, with bouncy house (“Little Bit”), jungle house (“Simply Won’t Do”) and the trancey drum and bass (“Higher Than Ever Before”) that we’re accustomed to from the pair. Disclosure manage to harken back to old school days of Settle while also referencing their latest record ENERGY all at once, and while sounds simple, that’s no easy feat.
Opening track “Looking For Love” is Disclosure at their best – a simple melody and lyric over unexpected chord progressions, played round and round with clever production signatures from the pair scattered across it. After 11 years in the game, it’s so good to hear the longevity of Disclosure’s sound being reshaped for today’s listener while remaining true to their brand.
After five tracks, you hit interlude track “Someday…,” and the choral arrangement acts as a sucker-punch of a tonal change for the album. You’re thrown into the experimental second section of the album almost immediately, and it’s here where things drop the ball ever so slightly. “We Were In Love” is saturated with exceptional production, but also curious choices that make it fit more into a DJ set than an album. Same goes for “Purify,” as it waxes and wanes around with trancey synths but doesn’t actually go anywhere. It’s more of an interlude than a full track, and questions its own placement in the track listing.
“Sun Showers” follows in similar footsteps, but none quite so harsh. It’s an excellent upbeat instrumental, but lacks a progression that Disclosure are so well known for – that, or a featured vocal. The section is then saved by the closing two tracks “Brown Eyes” and “Talk On The Phone” – both uplifting, bouncy house tracks sprinkled with the experimentation of the tracks just before. If this closer is a glimpse of Disclosure’s future, then boy are we in for a good time – it’s just a shame that it took a while to get there on this record.
So, to answer the question; yes, they can hold their own. Alchemy is a story in two parts, each showcasing the two sides to the duality of Disclosure. While incredible producers and crafters of songs, they’re also exceptional DJs with a whole career behind them. With this album they bring those two sides to one party, and while it’s not their masterpiece, it’s still a great record.
