Having lost his name in a frankly baffling legal escapade with ex-Dictator 'Handsome Dick Manitoba', Dan Snaith has shrugged off his former moniker, emerging from the cocoon as Caribou and, if 'The Milk of Human Kindness' is anything to go by, then a protracted legal blindside would seem to sharpen the musical senses considerably.
Moving away from the smudged chalk mural sound that was 2003's 'Up in Flames', Snaith has tightened his production up considerably (taking it back to 'Dundas, Ontario' territory) whilst simultaneously moving his sound forward. Opening with the eulogistic sunshine pop of 'Yeti', Caribou assumes vocal duties as Brian Wilson washes and agitated metronome strings swell joyously, bringing to mind a vitamin C drenched re-reading of Kraut rock. Snaith's skill has always been in making variegated and structurally complex music that appears utterly unpremeditated, with the balls-out epic of 'A Final Warning' a perfect example, unfolding as it does in the most natural fashion imaginable.
Elsewhere, 'Lord Leopard' is a bouncing B-Boy double-take of the Ski Sunday theme tune whilst album closer 'Barnowl' is a rimy and penetrating Four Tet-esque collision of heavy percussion and florid aural bursts that leaves you with a real sense of foreboding.
RIYL Floating Points, Four Tet, Nicolas Jaar
Tracklisting
1. Yeti 05:01
2. Subotnick 01:05
3. A Final Warning 07:15
4. Lord Leopard 01:37
5. Bees 05:23
6. Hands First 00:29
7. Hello Hammerheads 02:42
8. Brahminy Kite 05:22
9. Drumheller 01:33
10. Pelican Narrows 03:50
11. Barnowl