Arctic Moon by Chameleons

Chameleons
Arctic Moon
Metropolis

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Finally! Arctic Moon feels like a long time coming. As the Chameleons’ first full-length in 24 years, the album feels like a distant departure from their youth, even as they are white-knuckle gripping onto it. It’s not that they are trying to reinvent themselves based on the past; it’s more about how they feel in the moment. In that, they have created a powerful aura, showing that the band can still write some incredible songs and created an album we longed for.

When you hear a song like “Magnolia,” a specific dynamic emerges out of the creative process. There is an intimacy that exists throughout Arctic Moon that is unprecedented. Gone is the rage that burned on Script of the Bridge; what emerges from the ashes is artistic merit from a band who has lived through decades of transformation.

This has opened them up to new possibilities where they can explore depth and space on a song like “David Bowie Takes My Hand,” as starlight emerges through its floating melodies and builds a beautiful homage to the Starman. Or take “Where Are You?” which starts the album with glorious rock fervor—this is Chameleons, after all. We got a teaser of the song through a three-song EP earlier last year, and we also experienced Tomorrow Remember Yesterday, which contained five songs emerging from the vault.

Beyond the YouTube video nibbles and the speckling of music, Arctic Moon as a whole is tremendous. It’s a seismic rift of passion that emits so many emotions; they wrap around you and create an experience that involves you as much as the musicians themselves. This album is not to be taken lightly; it’s to be savored and nurtured because it’s a beautiful work of art.