After four solo efforts as Dan Mangan, Club Meds is the first release by JUNO Award–winning singer/songwriter under the name Dan Mangan + Blacksmith. And fittingly so, considering the big leap forward it represents for Mangan. Edgy and sonically dense, Club Meds is full of surprises and nuanced arrangements, and it's every bit a band effort. Loops, squalling effects, and subtle interplay among instruments give the album an overall claustrophobic sound, with occasional bursts into open space as on “A Doll’s House/Pavlovia” and “XVI.” At times, traditional song structures are abandoned entirely, creating a disorienting effect that remains beautiful despite the album’s jagged edges.