For the past several years, Caribou has caught the fancy of chin stroking electronic music fans. Suddenly is Dan Snaith’s first release since 2014’s Our Love. In concert, Snaith is an engaging and energetic frontman that is easy to like. These qualities shine through in his music on “Ravi” providing lots of hi-hat and the house-y “Lime” that cuts into a distant, atmospheric beat 2/3rds of the way through. “Never Come Back” provides a steady beat tailor made for private living room parties.
Getting much play on CBC Radio earlier this year, the single “Home” with it’s soul sample provides a giddy spin on classic soul. There is not much mystery in Snaith’s lyrics but they never come across as too on the nose. His mother in law loses a son on “You and I” over a bed of mid 80s synths while “Magpie” is a moving tribute to his sound engineer Julia Brightly who passed away in 2014. Cutting between soul, rap, house, and the dancefloor; Suddenly is a varied listen with several very good moments
7.5/10
The Light Appears 