Artist: Caribou
Album: Swim
Released: April 2010
Label: Merge Records
Genre: Electronic
Purchase Date: 10 Mar 2011
Format: mp3 files
Source: Amazon
I really wanted to love the fifth full-length album from Dan Snaith, who is the band Caribou. His 2007 album Andorra was one of that year's best. Swim is rather a dark record: most of the songs are about the end of relationships and the music is awash in heartbreak. While dark, this album is much more dance-friendly than his previous release. Musically, Snaith's meticulous precision comes through overall: as the whole album is sequenced, there's not a bleep or bloop out of place. Snaith has always been an electronic artist, but I feel that this is far less organic and feels a lot more sterile than his previous output.
That's not to say that there's no fun to be had in this album. The opener, "Odessa," is the high point, and it is a very enjoyable track. The twists and turns, the numerous false endings, and sever changes in tone speak to a very ambitious musician making very ambitious music. While I applaud the ambition, the actual results of this experiment are mixed. Overall, I do like this album, but I was hoping to love it.
Rating: B-
Album listing at Amazon
Not available at eMusic
"Odessa" official video
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