CARIBOU - Andorra (released Aug. '07)

Rating: 9.1

Caribou is the most fascinating band on Earth. A young group of Canadians lead by multi-instrumentalist Dan Snaith, Caribou made the leap to Merge Records for their second album under the name "Caribou."

Caribou was formerly known as Manitoba, from around 2001-2004. In 2003, Manitoba released Up in Flames, a critically acclaimed work of hazy electronica. Their shoegaze sensibility showed much promise back then, but Up in Flames contained only fragments of great music, with several "filler" tracks and a lot of songs that sounded like incomplete ideas. Caribou's 2005 album, The Milk of Human Kindness, was similarly inconsistent, but it added a much richer rhythmic pulse, allowing the songs to build and change more, and allowing the sonic experiments to move and breathe.

By August of 2007, it was time for Caribou to release a masterpiece. And they delivered just that with Andorra. No longer do the spattering electronics linger and loom. Moreover, the gorgeous mix of guitars and keyboards coheres like never before, as Snaith solidifies his songwriting with tight structure and intricate subtleties that make his atmospherics more lush.

There are some absolutely sublime tracks here, some that literally make me feel like I'm in heaven, or in a really brightly-lit dream. The opening sequence of "Melody Day," "Sandy," and "After Hours" is impeccable and the force of Caribou's drumming is felt immediately. "She's the One," "Sundialing," and "Niobe" are other essentials.

The only weakness lies in the middle, with "Desiree," "Eli," and "Irene." These are all really good songs by themselves, but they kind of interrupt the flow of the first four songs because they lack the same atmospheric momentum. I can see Snaith trying to alter the pace, but on this album, his boldest moves are his best.

Caribou have finally sculpted themselves into a complete figure, with a full sound that can grab the interest of new listeners far more effectively than their previous work.

10/24/07 - Spoon + Ponys at the Orange Peel

Spoon with the Ponys, Wednesday October 24, 2007.

I arrived at the Orange Peel just in time to scoot my way to the front, and after a few glances at their effects boards, the Ponys had arrived. They opened with a minute or so of feedback noise, after which they launched into the second track on Turn the Lights Out. They proceeded to play "Let's Kill Ourselves," which won much applause from the sold out Peel. I didn't recognize the next song, but then came "Double Vision" which was SO loud people around me were commenting on the exceptionally loud volume of the Orange Peel. Next was another song I didn't recognize, followed by "Glass Conversation." The band played perfectly and seemed to be in great spirits - the singer spat booze all over the other guitarist between songs. Very playful and nice to see. They also rocked out to "Another Wound," which surprised me 'cause they failed to play it at Pitchfork. They closed with one of their long album-enders on their first or new album, and it lasted at least 8 or 9 minutes. An excellent set, and overall the best Ponys experience I've had, mostly due to the Orange Peel's sweet sound. The one thing I preferred about the Taste of Randolph Festival show was that they played longer there. Their set last night was only 36 minutes! Cmon now!

Spoon was not nearly as enjoyable, perhaps since I had drunk a few tall boys before being dropped off by John, and was feelin' it for the Ponys. After my buzz wore off I felt tired and weary, as I stood alone in the crowd, mostly in anticipation of a bunch of GAGAGAGAGA shit. Spoon's set was pretty much what I expected - it was basically the same shit they always play, except with like 9 Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga songs to make it worse than usual. They played a bunch of stuff from Gimme Fiction, which was cool because that album lends itself to the live setting better than their others. From Gimme Fiction, they played "Beast and Dragon, Adored," "Two Sides of Monsieur Valentin," "Turn My Camera On," "My Mathematical Mind," "Delicate Place," and "I Summon You." Surprisingly, no "Sister Jack." From Kill the Moonlight, they played "Small Stakes," "The Way We Get By," "Stay Don't Go," and "Someone Something." I thought this was a weak selection from KTM. What about "Jonathan Fisk" or "Paper Tiger," both of which were incredible two years ago! AND, only one song from Girls Can Tell - "Everything Hits at Once." Overall a decent, but incomplete setlist. The set had a poor balance between droney/choppy. God, all the Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga was so boring, all sounded the same. The good old songs were pretty awesome, though, especially the longer, more rockin' version of "Small Stakes."

So, I'll continue to see Spoon if they roll through Chapel Hill or Asheville at the right time, but they damn well better bring a Ponys-caliber opener on each tour because they are losing their edge.