(Courtesy of Caribou)
It�s hard to keep track of Caribou. You could put on one of their albums back-to-back with another and be convinced that they came from two completely different artists. But the eerie folk sounds of �The Milk of Human Kindness,� and the dark danceyness of the newest effort, �Swim,� both come from Caribou mastermind Dan Snaith.
Caribou�s career echoes that of other strange music-makers like Animal Collective. Songs range from weird electronic freak-outs to melodic genius. Snaith has made his bizarre impulses work to his advantage on �Swim,� a mostly accessible album that has moments of utter strangeness bubbling beneath the surface. Whether it is the weird muted screams in �Odessa� or the almost-broken keyboard that permeates �Hannibal,� Snaith�s quirkiness has not been left behind in favor of a pop album.
Vocals sound like they are coming from a cold underwater cave, resonating deep echoes and foggy dark sounds. �Leave House,� sounds like some sort of creature is sneaking up from behind, moving slowly in the underwater murk as Snaith slinks away sighing, �don�t tell me what I should do,� as effervescent twinkles bubble up around him.
Opener �Odessa� is the obvious stand out on the album. Much like Animal Collective�s �My Girls,� the song takes everything that is perfectly strange about Caribou and makes it accessible. The song is brimming with sonic oddities that Snaith somehow manages to weave together into a sinister dance masterpiece. It�s hard not to bob your head to this track with its disco-sounding guitars chugging along and deep bass that feel similar to lurching on a boat. The combination of dance and macabre sounds leaves listeners dazed and seasick in the best possible way.
�Jamelia� is the perfect bookend to �Odessa.� It shows the influence of smooth electro gurus The Junior Boys (member Jeremy Greenspan helped on �Swim�) with its silky, shimmering synths and sleek, rich vocals. That calm atmosphere is quickly disrupted by an explosion of metallic keyboards and fervent vocals crying, �I can�t take it no more.�
�Jamelia� may be the most astoundingly beautiful moment in an album full of them. Maybe it�s just my partiality for anything dramatic, but the vocals are visceral and beautiful in a way that lingers after multiple listens.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jenny Gumbert at [email protected].
