Album Review: Chameleon, Call Me Twice

It’d be hard to think of a more appropriate moniker for Chameleon. Since the Dun Laoghaire alternative musician was crowned winner of Hot Press’s A New Local Hero competition in 2021, he has shown time and again that he’s master of bending genres – and his debut effort, Call Me Twice, marks his most successful attempt yet.

A continuation of his 2024 project Call Me Twice, Pt 1, with half the songs having appeared on the previous record, the new LP opens with the gorgeously otherworldly instrumental synth piece, ‘Intension Tremor’. It then takes a sharp turn into the catchy, tongue-in-cheek indie rock numbers ‘Made You Look’ and ‘What Was It That You Said?’.

The R&B flavoured ‘How To Pray (Euphoria’) and hip-hop inspired ‘Weak’, reminiscent of the best Brockhampton tracks, mark clear highlights, evidently where Chameleon is at his most mature and comfortable. ‘The Ransom’ and ‘I Never Knew You Well’ tap into darker, more mysterious soundscapes, while the delightfully sulphurous ‘Action Man’ and its unexpected eight-minute run are as pretty and compelling as it gets.

Despite the variety, Chameleon creates a consistent record, flavouring each track with delicately layered vocals and atmospheric, dreamy flourishes, all boasting an impressively distinctive style.

Excellent stuff.

8/10