By Stan Cierlitsky
The new Caribou album, Suddenly is out now on Merge Records. Even though this style of electronica isn't really in my wheelhouse, I have always had an interested respect for Dan Snaith and the work he has done. While creating some of the best dance-floor music (indie or not), he was also studying for a PhD in mathematics. What? Just a super interesting guy.
I would also like to say that I think Caribou is the Everyman of electronic music. Let me start by saying when it comes to electronic music, I only really know the tip of the iceberg. But I clearly hear ambient Tangerine Dream-like elements in the opener here, "Sister", and I hear drum-and-bass elements in "Ravi". And you will see some of the other ties I make in my individual song thoughts.
The first single from the album, "Home", came out last October. The beats and samples remind me a bit of "Porcelain"-era Moby (I mean that as a compliment). The samples from this song came from Gloria Barnes's 1971 soul track of the same name. For me, this is clearly the album's standout track. It also hit me pretty hard In a personal way. I just lost my father recently and the lyric, "I'm going home" gave me a lot of comfort. Thanks Dan for that.
The second single, "You & I" is a slower yet complicated track. I love the sample work on this one. They go from quietly subtle like on a Boards of Canada track to some more in-your-face samples that you will find on some current rap tracks. There are a lot of subtle things going on in this song so listen closely. The third single, "Never Come Back", sounds like the song that you will most likely hear on the dance-floor (where you will not find me). The repeating rhythmic pulses are married with the lyrical refrain: "And you never come back, and you never come back too." Even though this is a perfectly pleasant song, this is the type of song that really isn't the kind of thing I normally gravitate towards.
There are also a bunch of very quiet indie songs on this album. They are very deep, emotional, introspective, and specific. The opener, "Sister", pleads, "Sister, I promise you I'm changing, you've had broken promises I know." Or on the gorgeous closer "Cloud Song": "When you're alone with your memories, I'll give you a place to rest your head." Very beautiful lyrics for the introspective listener.
Let me say this clearly: Dan Snaith is a genius and critics will always love him. Critics have to listen to albums closely, and anyone that listens to this closely will be impressed with the range of sounds and techniques and emotions. If you don't believe me, check out Caribou's Metacritic scores. What perplexes me is the dichotomy between his "Ibiza dancehall bangers" (don't ask me what that means), like "Never Come Back", and the slow, introspective beauties like "Cloud Song". I just have to imagine the audiences for both do not intersect.
For me, the itch that Caribou scratches is in the in-between. I don't particularly love either end of the spectrum (even though I respect it all). I love the indie songs that rise to a level right below "Ibiza dancehall banger" (again, don't ask me). On this album, that's "Home", "Ravi", and "You & I". That's a perfect spot for me. That's why I love bands like Underworld and LCD Soundsystem. They generally hit that perfect sweet spot.
As I said earlier, I think this album has something for everyone who can accept and appreciate electronica of some kind (not for my wife). And I think anyone that has spent the time reading this review should give this a spin.
Suddenly is out now via Merge Records.
More details on Caribou via the official Facebook page.
[Photo: Thomas Neukum; Artwork by Amber Elise]