Caribou Celebrate Album Launch With Impressive Set in Manchester

Maybe it was because he was one of the only overseas musicians to actually make it to the UK through the volcanic ash, or, more likely, maybe it was the rapturous critical acclaim that's greeted his new album 'Swim.' For whatever reason, it was a jam packed Deaf Institute in Manchester that helped Dan Snaith celebrate the release of his third LP, under current moniker Caribou, on Monday night.

Caribou had previously spent the weekend in southern England, appearing in London's Rough Trade East record store on April 17 as part of Record Store Day, before opening their European tour proper the same night at Brighton's Freebutt. On his first trip north though, Snaith -- bolstered live by a guitarist, bassist and drummer -- rose to the occasion with accustomed modest grace, delighting an initially passive crowd with a set that, despite an early appearance from 2007's 'Melody Day,' largely eschewed his krautrock leanings of the past.


Instead, focus was placed on the new material, as the Canadian allowed his organically layered synth swells to enshroud the dance hall with subtle electronic euphoria. Snaith switched between guitar, drums and samplers throughout, largely allowing his music to do the talking, even when faced with one particularly drunken heckler near the front of the crowd -- the group simply chose to up the tempo rather than stopping to remonstrate.

It was the only blip in an otherwise wonderful performance, that saw fan favourites 'Odessa' and 'Sun' garner the biggest response, the group then finishing with the extended motorik soundscapes of 2005's 'Barnowl.' Caribou finish the UK leg of their tour at London's Corsica Studios on Tuesday April 19 before moving onto Amsterdam.