Review: Caribou – Andorra

Can anyone tell me why Dan Snaith’s music has always seemed to get lumped into the folk-tronica genre? The man behind the Caribou moniker is an amazing producer and even though much of what he creates is sampled, chopped, and tweaked, it doesn’t (and really didn’t ever) strike me as truly “electronic” music, but whatever. His latest album Andorra is simply amazing.

Andorra is awash in a psychedelic haze that can easily (and without chemical help) transport its listeners to another world. Its densely layered symphonic soundscapes are the aural equivalents of the grandest spectacles mankind has ever seen. The most accurate of those that comes to mind is that of a star-birthing space nebula. If you’ve ever seen a picture of one of these interstellar clouds of dust, gas and plasma you’d know what I’m talking about. And much like those nebulae, Andorra is a nebulous and mesmerizing combination of layered polyrhythmic percussion, fluttering woodwind instruments, swirling synths, crashing cymbals, rock guitars, and falsetto vocals.

Another visual reference point for the music on Caribou’s Andorra is the Aurora Borealis. Free flowing and somewhat formless but cohesive enough to almost have structure, the record references everything from sun-drenched 60’s pop to noisy electronic freak outs and makes the most of all those moments. Some may say it is too sprawling and not focused enough while others may say it just sounds like a lazy rehashing of the past. I think not. The production is meticulous and the multifaceted sounds are expertly crafted. Andorra is essentially electronic-ish music that doesn’t really sound all that electronic.

Did you think the Junior Boys’ last record was great? Do you like Four Tet or Hot Chip? Well, this is totally different, but give it a try. I think you might like it.

MP3 | Caribou – Melody Day Andorra
MP3 | Caribou – Sundialing Andorra