Returning to HAKT after his 2013 single N1, Cale Parks continues to chart a compelling new path with the Lagoon Fool EP, his second foray into solo production. As the current drummer for Yeasayer and a prolific collaborator both in studio and live, Cale’s creativity knows no genre. The five tracks on offer sneak from the beaten path, complicating signifiers of style, gently tweaking the standard grammar of club music, and remaining accessible all the while. Assembled in his Brooklyn studio, but sonically sourced from his grandparents’ Tennessee farm, Lagoon Fool carries that sublime, somehow inviting ethos of the Appalachian range. Airy and tectonic at once, impeccably detailed, yet easily taken as a whole, it’s a rich, deceptively layered listen. As a skilled songwriter and a produce quickly proving his caliber, Cale has composed a suite that demands multiple listens and a place at peaktime just the same
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The EP begins on “Appalachia,” with delayed dreamlike chords syncopating over slow breathing pads. While it’s easy to lull low into the track’s deep, cradling groove, keep your head up to catch the dynamism of the mix: like a cinematographer pulling focus over the broad mountains themselves. Next, “Big Hills” sounds like the thrill of reaching summit, with muscular bass weighing in opposition to a driving melody like lactic acid in the legs. “Jade” demonstrates Cale’s rhythmic intelligence with an unorthodox, yet tranquil drum part that carries a starry chord progression up into the stratosphere of soul. Closing things out, the title track bumps at a languid, triumphant pace with guitar chords, warbling synths, and elastic bass whirling into an anthemic progression. As a bonus, the aforementioned gets an insightful remix by Australian producer Bell Towers of Public Possesion fame, who adds some sparkle and funk while gently upping the tempo. It’s a set to be reckoned with — Cale’s next move is anyone’s guess