After last month’s SBTRKT album which brought very mixed reviews I have chosen to stick with a dance driven album and select Caribou’s ‘Our Love’.
This for me has been the most anticipated album release for 2014. I was a huge fan of his ‘Swim’ album and loved his in-between project under the alias of Daphni. The first single off the album ‘Can’t Do Without You’ was my summer anthem, soon followed by the second single ‘Our Love’.
This album has so many layers to it but as I want to hear what the rest of you think so I’m just going to hit on the main two for me:
1 – The music!! Structure wise, composition, production…. All I can say is OOOOFFFFFF! It’s all I hoped for and more. I have read a few articles saying that this album is more of a Daphni album than a Caribou album but I disagree. The Daphni releases are much more basic compositions than this album. Sure there must be massive influences from playing clubs and festivals for the last three years, but this isn’t a Daphni album. On swim I felt that he left you wanting more from a few of the songs and he has reached that point on this album. Some of the songs build and build which I love. Some bring you fully into their world. Once again, OOOOFFFFFF!
2 – The Lyrics. I listened to this album for about two weeks before even paying attention to the lyrics. Musically it is that strong. When I took the step to get into the lyrics this album then started coming across in a different way. For me this album is about love and relationships (in a very basic way). Compared to ‘Swim’ Caribou seems to have opened up much more which has aided his album structure for me. On ‘Swim’ I thought he gave us a taste and left it at that.
There is much more I could get into but I want to hear your thoughts on this.
Album of the year, possibly? I reckon it’ll be in my top three for sure.
thisisnothappening.net 
I’m snowed at work at the moment but before I get the chance to really wax lyrical about the album I’ll say this:
1) It’s brilliant. Musically, but also the warmth, and lyrically it’s decent too, which you’d not necessarily expect from electronic music.
2) it’s been on rotation constantly since I got it. I’ve probably listened about 15 times already.
3) It’s already one of my favourite albums of the year.
Swim is one in my top 10 albums of all time. Im not sure what else is as I change the other slots constantly, but Swim is always on the list. As a result I was always going to be a little let down by this.
This is a great album. Its really strong musically and lyrically as has been mentioned. The story is of a relationship from start through troubles to longer lasting affection and love. Does this make it a concept album? I guess so?
I feel that the album gets a little lost in the middle? The female vocal track I find a little jarring, it pulls me out of the album a little like a celebrity cameo does in a good film. This is then followed by two tracks, Julia Brightly and Mars which feel a little like filler compared to the rest of the album. I assume there is a good reason to put these two together due to the ‘concept’ but for me it creates a mid-album-buffer which feels a little like a hurdle compared to what comes before and after which is solid gold.
Look, I am being harsh as Mr. C has set the bar so so high with Swim and Andorra. I am really enjoying this solid, lovely warm album.
This is getting regular dinner time play at the House of Story. Its going down well. Both girls like it though Silvia’s fave song is one of Guys; Lordes Glory & Gore!
I’ve been a Caribou fan since the days he was known as Manitoba and love his early stuff with a passion. As a 60s psych officianado, I loved the way he married a dance music aesthetic to a real psych sensibility. I thought it reached a moment of perfection with the album ANDORRA, which is absolutely right up there as one of my fave albums.
So oddly enough, SWIM was a bit of a disappointment. I say ‘disappointment’ only in that I only loved it, rather than loved it to death. It was a bit straight down the line dance music for me, and I longed for a bit more Caribou weirdness. It’s still a fantastic album and a real cracker to play during summer. But I wasn’t sure if OUR LOVE was going to be more of the same. The singles boded well. They were brooding and dancey, but they suggested at something more reflective. But from the moment I heard track 2, ‘Silver’, I knew I was going to love this to death.
This album feels to me like a fantastic mix of his dancey-er persona, with all of the gorgeous melodies of his earlier work. There’s more of a touch of Giorgio Moroder in lots of these tracks (Silver being a perfect example) – and even Vangelis (think Bladerunner soundtrack). And like Moroder and Vangelis, he creates this gorgeous analogue synth worlds that feel fragile and magical. Some of the moments take your breath away: the way that ‘Dive’ dissolves into pieces; the swirling, messed up synths on ‘Second Chance’ (totally disagree about the lovely female vocal, I think it’s a welcome change); the slow build on ‘Back Home’ (a pure piece of Moroder fan-music).
I’d agree with Brother Joey that maybe ‘Jula Brightly’ and ‘Mars’ lose the pace slightly, but this is minor quibbling. This is a gorgeous record, clearly an album about love and being in love that feels like a whole, organic piece and works entirely as one. I can’t stop listening to it. And yes, it may well be album of the year. But we can have that debate in a month, right? 🙂
My latest on Second Chance is not that its a female vocal but I find it a bit of an ‘R&B’ vocal. I think that’s what jars with me. I’ve been in the car for 8 hrs today. I’ve listened to this album 3 times through without interruption and that it’s made way more impact in the car with me and my thoughts. Julia Brightly fitted in much better for me too.
Any grumbles I have are simply that it wasn’t Swim which I prefer over Andorra (but only just) they’re both way up on my fave albums list. This does sit behind both of them for me but that’s a tough crowd to be judged in. Not my album of the year …. but I don’t know what is. I’ll have a think.
I’m with Brother David here. I’m an unashamed fan, and I absolutely loved Swim, but I had high hopes here, and once I got my head round the fact that this wasn’t Swim II (and that didn’t gel for a while) I absolutely love it. Yes, it’s not perfect. There are a couple of tracks that don’t always feel right – Julia Brightly sticks out – but I really like Mars, and after initially not liking Second Chance, it’s actually really stuck with me now. I’m afraid I enjoy it more than any track I like on the Twigs album. It’s just my ‘thing’.
At the end of the day, it passes one simple test: ‘what shall I listen to today’? And it’s often at the top 5 section, where I’ll just put it on as I know I’ll like it. I’ve not grown tired, one bit. That’s all that matters to me. I can see this being in my top 5 of 2014, easily.
This is still really really good. It just gets better and better.