Cave Dog

Album review

The release of Sus Dog in May 2023 marked a formal recalibration of Clark's musical output—with a little help from Thom Yorke behind the scenes—firmly introducing his voice into the mix. Characteristically intricate synthesis and IDM-inspired leftfield beats would coalesce with a silky, sensitive falsetto, soaring above the turbulent force of its instrumental counterpart. Barely six months later, and with very little notice, Cave Dog arrives. The name seems to lend itself as a visual aid for what Clark might've looked like deep in the creative process: chained to his machines, howling wistfully into the digital abyss. A commitment to such obsession seems key to fulfilling the artistic designs for this sort of release. In his own words, "I was searching for intense, rich detail that sometimes only reveals itself on the thirtieth listen, but also flow, simplicity and memorable melodies that just can't be any other way otherwise they're wrong."

Cave Dog is by all means a legitimate partner to the preceding album, but carries itself more like a thematic extension. Many of the tracks have been reworked and repositioned in different sonic contexts; they flex the newly found expressive potential of its author's voice, and push the textural complexity of the sound design to ever-ambitious lengths. The music flourishes through these seemingly opposed avenues, weaving together tender, ambient qualities and breakneck rhythms with a class that has become synonymous with Clark's musical reputation. Just as the music hinges on a synthesis of contrasts, the album's programming finds form in juxtaposition. The synth wizardry and experimental brashness which defines the first seven tracks is dissipated with the arrival of "Reformed Bully," where the rhythmic drive of the preceding tracks is submerged, priming the listener for the deeply reflective, beatless spaces which follow.

This new release sees Clark master the sound previewed in his previous album, Sus Dog. It ornaments and refines an already sophisticated sound palette, shaping new and old compositional ideas in exciting and unprecedented ways. We would be foolish to expect any less. © Finn Kverndal/Qobuz