Caravan Palace

Chronologic

BY Ashley HampsonPublished Aug 28, 2019

6
Keeping the electro swing genre propped up long after its influence petered out of the mainstream, and following the acclaimed <| ° _ ° |> in 2015, Caravan Palace are back in with their latest full-length Chronologic.
 
This new release strays more heavily into the pop realm, with hints of muted jazz and their signature brass. Single "Miracle" is a pop-forward 4/4 affair with a simplistic lyrical structure and bass line that borders on funk. That aside, the first half of Chronologic is forgettable, with nearly a handful of tracks seemingly interchangeable or spoiled by the band's first introduction of guest vocals, which don't do the album any favours. The back half of the album, for the most part, finally finds traction, and variations of old themes push through. "Fargo" washes in with an extremely hazy, lo-fi instrumental jazz track, on par with "Ghost," which signifies a shift. Tracks like "Leena" and "April" work more with Caravan Palace's trademark electro swing, pulling back on the pop and pushing forward with weightier beats and brass.
 
While Caravan Palace may be exploring different sounds and genres, the songs that land are the ones that launched the band to where they are now, suggesting that sometimes a good thing should be left alone.
(Lone Diggers)

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