8/10

When Dan Snaith released his fourth Caribou full-length 'Our Love' in 2014, it was clear that he had produced something very special. With international acclaim and a worldwide presence now under his belt, he was in no rush to continue that project without first stepping back from it for a while. Instead he revived his lauded techno project Daphni for a series of releases in order to move his mind away from the Caribou, in the hope of coming back to it with a completely blank slate. And this is exactly how it feels when switching onto 'Suddenly', a record that removes almost everything 'Our Love' had but still manages to deliver something incredibly unique.

The first thing many will notice about 'Suddenly' is just how organic he has made this record sound. While all of the Caribou work had this strong identity that has been rooted in electronic fanfare, this new collection relies far more heavily on traditional instrumentation, regularly using unaltered samples and untampered piano keys to create its core richness. Instead the experimentation he is known for remains in the production, regularly warping and diverting our expectations with unconventional ideas that almost see him take on a Flying Lotus or Lapalux-esque aesthetic this time around.

In all, it feels that 'Suddenly' is trying to be the best anti-pop pop record it can be. While he has now focused on a more mainstream direction on this album, he has managed to deliver plenty more of that Caribou flair that we know him for, creating a release that is both fascinating and captivating in equal measure.