El Caco: 7

Some people disagreed with my positive review of El Caco's last album, Hatred, Love and Diagrams. While I thought the album was a fun and exciting foray into hard rock, others found it tepid, not terribly heavy and not terribly interesting enough for them. I stand by my love for that album—in fact, I still listen to it from time to time, but I think the naysayers may have understood something that I didn't. Don't get me wrong, I really like El Caco and was excited for this new release. But the album—as a whole—lacked the sensuality and the swagger of the last one. Maybe I just put too much stock on the last album and my continuing enthusiasm for the track "Skeleton." This album started out well enough, but things grew a bit tired by a third of the way through. The opening track "Curious" (also the band's major single) is quite strong, a rock and roll romp that has all the hallmarks of warming up an audience. I also thought "Sickness" was good, a slightly heavier and bolder take on the band's sound. I might say the same thing about "Reach Out," but I wasn't quite sold on the use of harsh vocals on the chorus. I don't mind harsh vocals, but I'm not sure they suit this band. As for "Ambivalent," I liked the beginning but grew, um, ambivalent about it by the end. A deliberate irony or just a low point? The rest of the album offered up good, if not great, mid-tempo rockers. The biggest surprise was definitely "In Space All Huge Beasts Just See," a track that definitely perked up my ears. An instrumental track, it stirs up some sludgy materials to deliver something both exciting and weird. I know El Caco often flirts with stoner metal sounds—could this be a sign of a turn toward something dark and sludgy? While this album may not have been as strong as Hatred, Love and Diagrams, there's still plenty of life and talent to enjoy here.

Track Listing:
1. Curious
2. Sickness
3. Ambivalent
4. Reach out
5. The Silver Light
6. In Limbo
7. In Space All Huge Beasts Just See
8. Those Possessed

Added: December 3rd 2015
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1593
Language: english

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