Suddenly, Caribou’s first album in 6 years, is a colourful and soulful body of work that matches the enigmatic aura of his previous albums

Canadian electronic musician Dan Snaith aka Caribou has been at the forefront of some of the most exciting music of the last decade. 2010’s Swim and 2014’s Our Love are two unique albums with soundscapes that sound far apart yet from the same DNA. His eclecticism is prevalent throughout his brand new studio album. Suddenly is another memorable body of work from the musical chameleon. He combines moody, soulful soundscapes with more jittery, restless moments that feature elements of dance, hip-hop and house music.

“Sister” kicks the album off with loud yet gentle electronic synths and Dan Snaith’s smooth vocals. It’s a sonically minimal track, yet the potency of the melodies and vocals throughout make it a pretty excellent opener. “You and I” is a guitar-driven dance-oriented track that resembles nothing else on the album, making it another interesting moment. The piano melodies on “Sunny’s Time” are gorgeous and complement the beat and vocal sample on this track. “New Jade” is uplifting, with a driving beat and ethereal synths throughout that add an angelic touch to the track. Snaith’s voice throughout is fantastic as usual, with the vocal samples throughout giving the track an infectious groove. The hip-hop, sample-based “Home” is another colourful and sunny moment on the album, with infectious rhythms I wish had continued for a longer time. “Lime” features jittery keys, subtle guitar leads and a thumping beat. The dance-centric vibe “Never Come Back” seems oddly placed in the context of the album, but it’s still a catchy electronic track, with Caribou providing more colour with soothing vocals throughout. “Filtered Grand Piano” is a short but sweet piano interlude, while “Like I Loved You” features guitar and synth leads backed by a fast-paced drum-machine beat. “Magpie” is a slower-paced track, engulfed by spacey synth keys that make me feel like I’m floating somewhere. The dense dance-electronica of “Ravi” is catchy too, providing another upbeat moment on the album, while “Cloud Song” is a wonky, synth-heavy track with a subtle beat and bassline that provide warmth to the track. Dan’s vocals here are soothing too, providing a soulful conclusion to the 12-track project.

While the album doesn’t seem to flow particularly well from track to track upon first listen due to the stark sonic differences throughout, Caribou was still able to craft an exciting, intriguing and memorable project that captures his talents effortlessly. Listen to Caribou’s new album Suddenly below via Spotify and don’t forget to support! Released via City Slang Records.