cont. from page 12
And still the sound kept changing. An infusion of synths
and more repetitive rhythms, sparse vocals, similarly
repetitive. Yet, even on Car ibou’s 2010 alb um, Swim,
which was perceived by many as a dance record, there are
psychedelic moments that make your head spin. Swim was
the album that snuck Caribou out of the downstairs chill
room and pushed them onto the main stage, all over the
world.
everywhere. Tunes like “Mars” are solidly rooted around
percussion and manic melodies, woodwind instruments
dancing their way around the beating heart of the song like
weird spirit creatures whispering somewhere just inside
the shadows. “Second Chance” strips out the ubiquitous
Caribou drums (apart from a single tom to wards the
end) and pair s the shining v ocals of J essy Lanza with
shimmering arpeggiated synths. Composer and violinist
Owen Pallet makes an appearance, his nota tions and
orchestral notions mixing with Snaith’ s more
organic, but still ma thematical composition.
The record’s first single “Can’t Do Without
You” would sound great in a funky house mix.
“Silver” is introspective and lush, perfect latenight music, as is the ultra-chill tune, “Dive”.
Snaith’s singing on this album has evolved too;
it somehow comes acr oss a little smoother ,
more confident, sweeter. His dr ifting falsetto
is a perfect complement to tunes that are, on
the whole, more accessible than those earl y
recordings.
While this might be a r ecord more on
the pop side of electronic music than its jangly
psychedelic predecessors, the psychedelic
element hasn’t gone an yway completely. The
ten tracks on Our Love still contain a constant
sense of something else going on, another le vel being
Come together
With that musical history, Snaith could ha ve gone in communicated sonically. If music is the drug, then this
a bunch of differ ent directions for the ne w album. Our other level doesn’t demand c hemical stimulation, it
Love seems to dra w from both sides of Snaith’ s musical has no need for tr iggers in pill form, for br idges built
saga. Weird and w onderful rhythmic madness mingles through hallucinogens. All it needs is for you, the listener,
with smooth, repetitive, and danceable beats, synth lines, to commit. Immerse yourself in the sonic message; lose
and pulsating bass. The whole r ecord seems soak ed in yourself to whatever strange trip the music takes you on.
the aforementioned sensory serotonin flood. It’s soulful,
joyful, and hypnotic, filled with a sense of togetherness. Feeling the love
It’s neither a dance record, nor a psychedelic electronica Saying Caribou’s latest album is like ecstasy isn’t really
album. There are moments of both, but it’s all blended fair, and it’s a sta tement that serves to perpetuate the
in together.You might hear it in clubs, on the dancefloor, stereotype. It’s not tr ue, either. Drug use is temporary,
and you might hear it in cafés. It’s unmistakably Caribou, a suspension of r eality for a handful of moments . This
though elements of Snaith’ s side-projects are pretty album—and each of the songs on it—is more permanent
than that. A better way to put it might be this: Caribou’s
apparent.
Our Love is a lot like the aural equivalent of a really big hug.
The album’s title trac k conjures images of a
spinning disco ball and the sensa tion of deep , deep Feels good, doesn’t it? [sic]
bass shuddering through a mass of dancing people . Sun
filtering through trees, hands raised in the air . Smiles Caribou’s latest full-length is available from Oct. 7 2014
13
[sic] fall 2014.indd 14
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