Caribou : Swim :: Review
On Caribou’s new album “Swim,” main man Dan Snaith has shed most of the flower power fueled pop that dominated his last release “Andorra” and opted for a more cybernetic model. Keeping with the “Swim” motif, Snaith has incorporated rubbery rhythms that mesh near cold electronics giving the listener the experience of hearing an album from underwater. All of this is instantly recognizable as a Caribou effort albeit one that plays up the dance element more than previous releases. “Swim” is also largely instrumental although Snaith’s yelp isn’t completely in absence, it’s more deliberately used to set tone and mood.
Speaking of mood, the somber opening track “Odessa” is not indicative of the entire album, as “Swim” is a pleasantly uplifting listen. “Odessa” seems to be an anomaly and offers such a captivating change of pace that elements from “Odessa” such as the skittering electronics and playful keyboard runs are echoed in other tracks such as “Leave House” and “Found Out.” The deliberately woozy krautrock of “Sun” brightens up the palette with its warm synths that dry out the rain washed drama of “Odessa.” The polyphonic “Kaili” offers the best of acid jazz with its numerous rhythms seemingly awash in stretched out treatments that often recall the hippy experiments of “Andorra.” “Hannibal” sounds at times like Snaith has taken note of dance legends Underworld with its lopsided melody and burgeoning crescendo. The dubby and drugged finale of “Jamelia” features the vocals of Born Ruffians Luke Lalonde who quickly turns the song into a sort of errant disco that boldly pushes Caribou further into the hierarchy of electronic music.
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