Record Review - Caribou: Swim

Swim, the latest LP from Caribou, finds our hero Dan Snaith exploring dance music more directly than ever before. Where Snaith’s last album, Andorra, was an exercise in iridescent electronic psychedelia, here he embraces the minimalist song structures of Arthur Russell. But Snaith doesn’t just ape Russell’s steez; he gives it new life. The album’s first track, “Odessa,” is a near-perfect mishmash of reverberating samples and hushed vocals. It sets the stage for an album that is at once understated and totally captivating. “Kaili” balances organic horn blasts and bouncy techno with a loose, snaking vocal melody. “Bowls” is straight-up beat-centric dance material. Snaith has stated his goal for Swim as one of musical liquidity, and he succeeds thusly. This is music for a thinking man’s dance party: Front to back, Swim is the sound of a fantastic underwater soiree where dancing and deep contemplation hold equal sway. 5 out of 5 stars.