Our Love is Caribou’s
(Dan Snaith) first LP since 2010’s Swim
which topped several album of the year lists and brought him significant
crossover recognition. Since then, Snaith has supported Radiohead on a world
tour, released a club-orientated album Jiaolong
as alter-ego Daphni, and had a daughter. All potential factors contributing
to the more mature and cohesive sound Our
Love has compared to Swim.
Although the sound on Our
Love is a definite progression from Swim, lead single Can’t Do Without You retains much of the sonic palate which Caribou
has become known for; organic drum samples, emotive chord progressions and
subtly manipulated vocals all feature here, characteristic of Snaith’s unique brand
of dance music. The song is centred
around a melancholic, falsetto refrain under which a subdued beat is gradually
built up to a euphoric climax of synths and reverb soaked vocal samples
creating a sound which seems to encapsulate the unified atmosphere of a festival crowd. The second single, Our Love, also has similarities to
Snaith’s prior work. The breakdown is a shameless tribute to Inner City’s Good Life and has echoes some of
Snaith’s more dance-orientated work as Daphni. As the song progresses the
influence of 80s house becomes more apparent, with stabbing synths, splashing
hi-hats and thumping kick drum stating Our
Love’s kinaesthetic intentions.
A feeling which seems to run
through the album is one of intimacy; a tone which was not present in Swim. This may be because this is the
first record where he has attempted to communicate with the listener. He has
also stated his desire to make this album his most personal and connected work
to date (a clue to this may lie in the record’s title). Evidence of this is
most clear on the closing track Your Love
Will Set You Free where Snaith’s soft falsetto longs for a lost love over a
subtle house beat featuring violin from Owen Pallett. Another factor in the
more intimate approach taken in Our Love
may be Snaith’s own maturation; in a recent interview he acknowledged the
autobiographical value of music and that he has become more reflective, questioning
the things that matter to him most. This presumably includes his recent daughter,
with whom he listened to a lot of old music with whilst he was recording the
record. Snaith suggests that the classic
soul which he shared with his daughter may have unintentionally contributed to
the warmness of the record. Additionally,
the influence of classic soul may be seen in the song titles. For example, Your Love Will Set You Free, Second Chance,
All I Ever Need, Can’t Do Without You and Our
Love would not look out of place on the rear sleeve of a Supremes
compilation.
Another apparent influence on
Our Love is hip-hop and R&B
production. In interviews Snaith has expressed his interest in the “synthetic,
hyper-digital, glossy sounds” of contemporary hip-hop and R&B production
and has said that he expected the record to end up much more polished and
transparent sounding. Although the end product is much more personal and warm,
there are certain moments where Snaiths initial inspirations are more evident,
such as in Silver and All I Ever Need, where the sparse high
hat flourishes and choice of drum samples are a definite nod towards hip-hop.
However, the influence of contemporary hip-hop and R&B production is most
clear in Dive. Here a distant synth
melody circles above a diced vocal sample before crashing down in an ocean of
reverb. The dream-like atmospherics, constant bass and R&B sample towards
the end are particularly reminiscent of producers such as Clams Casino and Holy
Other.
Second Chance
provides a brief departure from the more dance based songs on Our Love and
introduces Jessy Lanza singing over a shuddering synth progression which pans,
circles and dips into dissonance. The Hyperdub signed singer’s ethereal voice is a calming
contrast to the restless, persistent instrumental, creating a sound which could
see Second Chance lauded as the one
of the most original R&B songs this year. Additionally, the use of a female
voice is a refreshing change of perspective in an album which had previously
been viewing love from one side.
Our Love is a
very good record. It is more confident and cohesive than Caribou’s previous
work, it also feels more personal and intimate. This level of connection with
the listener is very rare in electronic music and is a factor which certainly
helps cement Dan Snaith as one of the most interesting electronic artists
around at the moment.
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