caroline - caroline 2

“Promise that you'll be fine”.

English post-rock band Caroline’s second album, caroline 2, seems to make an effort to make the group somewhat more accessible. But, in doing so, it doesn’t sacrifice any artistic merit - in fact, it’s quite the opposite.

caroline 2 is an absolutely hypnotizing listen. From the moment the opener, “Total euphoria”, begins, it’s hard not to become utterly lost in the explosions of enthralling creativity happening around you in the world that the music builds; and this sensation isn’t broken until the very final sounds of the closing track, fittingly titled “Beautiful ending”.

The production is, of course, largely responsible for the sound of this album. Handled by band members Casper Hughes, Jasper Llewellyn and Mike O’Malley, it strikes a great balance between clearer sounds and more rough ones. Additionally, the record plays a lot between loud and soft, and between pensive and chaotic, creating dynamic contrasts alongside the sonic ones. This is post-rock at its finest; the work that Caroline do with repeating segments in the music and lyrics, the use of droning and buzzing sounds and tones of some of the instruments - everything contributes to the unique, captivating atmosphere. 

Within this soundscape, the vocals often blend into the mix - but in this case, that works very well, because it feels like they act as another instrument. The writing, meanwhile, while being generally more abstract and containing a lot of repetition, still has time for some very compelling moments where it becomes more tender and human. The inclusion of Caroline Polachek on “Tell me I never knew that” is an excellent choice (and not just because of the Caroline connection) - she compliments the track perfectly with her signature vocals.

Overall, caroline 2 is an all-around improvement on its similarly titled predecessor; the exploration of different sounds feels braver, bigger, more ambitious; the composition of the songs feels more complex and intricate. The album is a very cohesive body of work, with great structuring and a really consistent feel and sound from start to finish. 

7.7/10