Customer Reviews

Andorra

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am not sad that Caribou has been absent for the past few years. Not a bit.

For the record, that doesn't mean that I don't like his music. In fact, I'm glad because Caribou (also known as Daniel V. Snaith) apparently spent his time coming up wiyj "Andorra," an album of psychedelic folkpop that stands way above his past work. It's a magical, almost transcendent little album that never allows you to be bored.

It opens with a swirling, lush little melody, full of bells and twittering flute. "Melody day/what have I done?" Snaith murmurs softly. "Now our hearts are locked up tight again/and when I pray its all begun/and when you smile it melts away again..."

That sound is echoed in "Sandy," which straddles the fence between pastoral pop and psychedelica. And it echoes in the songs that follow: swirling folkpop, languorous indie-rockers, soaring psychedelica, sunny breezy pop melodies, delicate electropop, and ending with the darker, shimmering "Niobe."

"Andorra" is a pretty big departure from Caribou's past work -- he started with jazzy electronica, then dense electro-guitarpop and then the free-form psychedelic dementafolk of "The Milk of Human Kindness." This one sounds more like a 1966 acid trip in a summery meadow -- it's just pure, magical psychedelica, with moments of indie-rock and krautrock thrown in.

It's also his most conventionally poppy work, but that's not a bad thing. While his past works were more about exploration than melody, this one is sheer beauty, with lots of peppy melodies swathed in the instrumentation. "Desiree," for example, is a pretty typical love ballad, but smothered in a cloud of tinkling chimes, jabbing violins and delicate synth.

The music itself is a kaleidoscope of gentle acoustic guitar, strings and expansive keyboard full of chimes, twitters and bubbles. As if that weren't sumptuous enough, Snaith adds on bells, banjo, and a flute that does its best to imitate birdcalls, as well as his own elusively wistful vocals.

"Andorra" is unlike any of Caribou's past work, but it's also the best. Soft, sunny and transcendentally pretty, this is a electronic and psychedelic masterpiece.

2007 seems to be quietly turning into another 2005 for Canadian music. The Besnard Lakes, Do make Say Think, Stars, The New Pornographers and Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew have come out with new material... and then there's "Andorra" by Caribou, a production with a very psychedelic feel to it, which yields a super-stellar album when combined with Caribou's typical electronic experimentation.

There are moments when you feel you could be in front of Beck, but then you know it's not him. You then figure: it sounds a bit like The Besnard Lakes: perhaps, but still not there. I guess the easiest way to picture this album is: imagine how The Beach Boys would sound if blended with 1966-1967 Beatles experimentation, had they come to life in an age where digital audio production was available.

This was my introduction to Caribou... and made me feel like I owe it to myself to dig back in this guy's discography to find which other musical jewels I may be able to unearth. I will report back any findings. In the meantime, enjoy "Andorra".

When I first heard about this album I was simply not enthralled because I thought I knew what Caribou was all about. I was wrong. This album is nothing short of amazing and the first reviewer captured it perfectly. Sandy, Eli, Irene, Melody Day are some of my favorites but basically every track was damn good. The sound in this record is different and I like it. This record is pure dope!

My rating: 9 out of 10

The opening track of Andorra, "Melody Day," is a fantastic sample of what Caribou is capable of; a dreamy atmosphere, a great use of electronica, and music that is not easy to forget. Combining electronica with the Beach Boys, Caribou creates luscious sounds and makes music that is instantly enjoyable. The songs "Melody day", "After Hours", and "Sundialing" are upbeat, fun, and danceable. Other songs like "Sandy", and "Desiree" are reminiscent of sixties bands like the Byrds, and the Mamas and the Papas; but the guitar, drums, and poppy electronica keep the sound very modern. The looping of "do"s on She's the One is surprisingly fascinating, and gives the song a complex texture.

The lyrics are sometimes very personal, "There's nothing left I can say/To stop it ending this way/I think you wanted me here/To watch it all disappear", and add emotion to an already powerful collection of songs. At other times, the lyrics are a little too abstract; "And in your summer sky and in the air/Have you forgotten how you got us here/While I remember how much I care." But when listening to Caribou, one doesn't focus too much on the words; the instrumentation is what makes Andorra such a delight and Daniel Snaiths's vocals(while quite good in their own right) are more like an afterthought to the delicious sounds.

The light sounds of this album are refreshing, and full of inspiration.
Favorite tracks: Melody Day, Sundialing, Eli

This is undeniably one of the best records of the year in my view. This is a brilliant record filled with blissful 60's esque pop that never sounds boring or dated, but rather fresh and modern. I found myself impressed by Snaith's songwriting, harmonies, vocals and incredible production, smooth yet not overly glossy. it makes you feel like you're driving to the beach on a beautiful spring or summer day. All the songs are exellent, my favorites are "Melody Day", "Sandy", "After Hours" and "Sindialing". This record is an absolute gem, so at least give it a listen or two.

WOW. I saw these guys open for Super Furry Animals a couple years ago without ever hearing them and was very impressed. But I was not prepared for this!

Their last album was good but this is better. It is a definite mix of psychadelia, indie pop, and electronica. Does that sound weird to you? It shouldn't in 2007 and this works QUITE well. I have to say that some of these songs sound more like authentic 60s psych that lots of these bearded, hippie, hipster, drone bands.

GET THIS ONE.

I've heard Caribou compared to the likes of the Silver Apples, the Beatles and some other psychedelia stalwarts...i'd like to add that this album reminds me a lot of The Zombies' Odessey and Oracle. This is a great album. I recommend both.

This is a heck of an album. is it the best caribou has offered? maybe. but i don't stand with the criticism of the earlier albums. they aren't as immediately accessed, but yield an amazing array of really interesting sonic elements on repeated listens. this album will probably be the same way, i can't wait.

A great homage, if you like, to the Beach Boys sound; the Motown sound, all with a modern, unique and wildly electro overtone. This is a brilliant work from an artist truly standing alone in style and vision.
The last track builds and builds, transcending its almost dated sound, until it kills you with poignancy, capping off a real cool album.

I got this album from my local library and gave it a few listens. I had heard some good things about Caribou, so I figured I'd give them a try. They have a nice indie rock sound with some electronica thrown in. It makes for an interesting sound, and it made very nice background music as I was doing other things like surfing the internet and reading. The individual songs, however, had little to offer. None of the songs stuck with me, in fact as soon as I finished my third listen and put something else on, the music completely slipped from my mind. It's one of those atmospheric albums that works as a cohesive unit but if a song comes up on iTunes at random you skip to another song. I realize that many people like that in a record. I usually do, but I need just a little bit more - a catchy song, a repeated motif, or at least some carefully placed hooks (see the Slip's "Eisenhower"). I couldn't give it below a 3 - but also couldn't give it anything higher.

If you like Radiohead or Elbow (2 bands that this reminded me of), then maybe you'll like this. I'd recommend listening to the samples first, though, to get a taste of what you're in for.