Canadian DJ, producer, and mathematician Dan Snaith, otherwise known as Caribou, released Swim in 2010, and I’m not sure how I missed it. I actually hadn’t heard of him until he was slated to perform at the cancelled Levitation Music Festival in 2016. I had hoped to catch his set there, as I was impressed with the few songs I heard while researching him ahead of the festival, but Mother Nature had other plans.
So, I put him on a list of bands and artists whose discographies I need to explore deeper, and I finally got around to picking up a copy of this album. I don’t know why I waited two years, because Swim is excellent.
Starting with the hip and groovy “Odessa,” Snaith punctuates dance floor bass with strange bird cry-like sounds while he sings about a woman striking out on her own. “Sun” (the only lyric in the song, repeated over and over) bounces, thumps, and glistens with house beats and shining synths. The synths on “Kaili” are a bit distorted, but it works for the building tension of the song (which seems to be about another woman in Snaith’s life, this one dealing with illness and possibly approaching death).
“Found Out” is full of quirky beats and synths that sound like doors being slammed in a video game (and the jingle bells are a great touch). “Bowls” is lush with its slightly Asian bells, strings, and synths. I’m not sure if the title of “Leave House” means Snaith wanted to leave house music behind and explore other genres of electronica in 2010, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the case. He explores many avenues on Swim, so it makes sense that he constantly wants to expand his boundaries and skill set. It reminds me a bit of Alan Parsons Project tunes with Snaith’s vocal work and the synth bass.
The album mellows out with the last three tracks. “Hannibal” and “Lalibela” are almost dream-house, and “Lalibela” is especially trippy with Snaith’s reverberated vocals. “Jamelia” is sci-fi lounge jazz mixed with warped house beats, almost like a space station night club is keeping the beats going while the station wobbles in orbit.
Snaith has plenty of other material out there, and Swim is intriguing enough to make me want to seek out more of his work. It might intrigue you as well.
Keep your mind open.
[Swim over to the subscription box and drop in your e-mail address, won’t you?]
