The effect is both mesmerizing and nerve-wracking, like watching a marathoner push to the finish line after hitting the wall, Willis Reed limping into immortality. caroline 2 is bookended by “Total euphoria” and “Beautiful ending”—apt descriptors for the frequency of the album. caroline 2 exists in constant destabilization, tempos speeding and slowing, standard post-rock dynamics shuffled, acoustic instruments processed beyond recognition and Auto-Tuned vocals capturing the spectrum of human emotion. caroline are not above the swells and strings that make car commercials and football highlights feel like religious experiences, but they never deliver them as expected. There’s never a grid on caroline 2, but there’s always a pulse.