Caravan Palace – Chronologic

Parisian electro outfit Caravan Palace head towards a more commercial sound on their fourth album

Album Review by Jack Pugh | 29 Aug 2019
  • Caravan Palace – Chronologic
Album title: Chronologic
Artist: Caravan Palace
Label: MVKA
Release date: 30 Aug

Showing no signs of lagging behind, Caravan Palace’s fourth album Chronologic maintains the same aural aesthetic that has seen them lead the way for years now in electro-swing – hedonistic, jazzy and a little psychedelic at times.

Miracle is a definite standout track, full of strutting, summery house beats, chirpy guitar strings and a great vocal performance from Zoé Colotis. Melancolia, on the other hand, is a slightly off-kilter rhythm and blues number, jazzed up with some whimsical piano flourishes toward the end.

With a duration of just one-minute-and-20-seconds, Fargo is the shortest offering on the record, but don't overlook this bluesy little dream of a track. The opening brass section transports you to a Paris jazz club circa 1924 – sultry, raw but divinely understated. At the other end of the spectrum is Plume, where the band return to their quintessential electro-swing roots, and Supersonics, a punchy, house driven beat that could rescue even the driest of parties.

Caravan Palace utilise guest artists for the first time in Chronologic. Charles X’s smoky soulful tones nicely complement Colotis’ always strong vocals in About You, while Tom Bailey steals the show on the bloody fantastic Waterguns with rich vocals and a welcome pinch of big band grandeur.

While Chronological is a foray into more commercial territory for Caravan Palace, it's clear the material has been assembled with the same level of care and dedication that has seen the Parisian electronic alchemists set themselves apart from their contemporaries. While there might be a more universal appeal to this album, their genre-defying sound still makes for a mostly immersive listen and a neat addition to any summer playlist.

Listen to: Miracle, Waterguns

http://caravanpalace.com