Caribou is the alias of multi-talent Dan Snaith, who has been using various aliases and has experimented with various sounds, ranging from electronica to shoegaze to folk. For his latest output, titled Swim, the man is literally harvesting acclaim.
And whilst he is a great talent by himself, several prolific musicians including Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) and Jeremy Greenspan (Junior Boys) have lent him a hand in the creation of his latest, and arguably greatest, album to date.
The disc is a great blend of influences and soundscapes, and generally has a happy twist to it, albeit a tad darker than on his previous output. Especially his lyrics, that generally deal with broken relationship, often stand in stark contrast to the melodies that are often positive and springy, albeit trippy at the same time.
Snaith’s music is very hard to classify; although the general characterization would be sample infused electronica; there is a strong role for vocals, and a rocky, analogue influence, with the occasional techno beat and ravy bass. Think LCD soundsystem meets Erlend Oye/Whitest Boy Alive on a Nathan Fake trip, clad in a coating that sometimes gives the sounds a drunken touch, but often leads to adventurous and surprising chord changes, that you simply didn’t see coming. The bottomline of his formula that literally goes all over the place is that it works.
Although tracks vary greatly in orientation (and you are likely to build up a strong love-hate relationship with some of them), Swim miraculously manages to offer a persistent sense of quality throughout, despite the album’s diverse elements and orientations. The disc can be listened to casually, but harnesses too many sonic details to be enjoyed from afar. Listen closely and you will come to appreciate the marvels ensconced in this musical masterpiece.
Tracklisting: 1. Odessa 2. Sun 3. Kaili 4. Found Out 5. Bowls 6. Leave House 7. Hannibal 8. Lalibela 9. Jamelia
Album Review
