Caribou Andorra by: Dean Van Nguyen Tue:18-Dec-07 Label: Merge Year: 2007 WB rating 80 out of 100

Hailing from Ontario, Canada, the do-it-yourself electronica of Daniel Snaith’s one-man band Caribou isn’t the most obvious source for bringing the bright sounds of sixties summer pop to the cold Irish winter. But his latest album under the Caribou banner should have many blowing the dust from their Mamas and Papas records, sipping ice cold cider and recalling memories of warm summers on the beach.

Previously releasing records under the guise of Manitoba before being sued for trademark infringement by punk rocker Handsome "Dick" Manitoba, Snaith’s first album after the name change, The Milk of Human Kindness, was a dark and quirky but modest record, filled with delicate electro which was ultimately more challenging than enjoyable. Nothing on this Caribou debut could have prepared the listener for the kaleidoscope of nostalgia on Andorra, a record filled with crashing drums, thick instrumentation, multilayered vocal harmonies and just enough good vibrations to recall those happy memories of The Beach Boys.

Rocketing out of the gate, opener ‘Melody Day’ instantly blows away the dark clouds of The Milk of Human Kindness, as well as any misconceptions Snaith fans might have brought to the record. Sparkling with all the shimmer of a classic 60s pop song, the energetic track features melodic guitars, dreamy flutes and sports some nifty Magical Mystery Tour psychedelic squiggles towards its end.

Snaith has always been an exceptional drummer, and he puts this skill to great use. Highlight ‘After Hours’ opens with bashed guitar chords before making way for gentle cymbals which carry the vocals, before effortlessly ripping into a drum roll at the end of each verse.

On Andorra Snaith also uses his voice to greater effect than ever before, coming off like a soft-sung Brian Wilson and providing his own multilayered vocal harmonies. He opens ‘Desiree’ barely singing above a whisper before elevating his voice to a new plateau as the song gathers pace.

Finding this new found vocal confidence is key to many of the album's successes, but at heart Caribou is the creator of complex electronic workouts and on the final three tracks he returns to his former self. A steadily pounded drumbeat propels ‘Sundialing’ while guitar and flutes playing skip alongside. ‘Niobe’ opens like it’s going to wind into a real electro club banger before the vocals bring it back down to earth.

In a way this contrast is what makes the record special, a space-aged instrumental showing punctuated with a voice that inspires thoughts of the California sunshine. But it is the shimmering pop tracks that leave the lasting impression, one to carriy through the cold winter, ensuring the cider is cold and the Mamas and Papas are on high rotation.