Caribou – ‘Honey’ album review: a shimmering dance album that feels like peace personified

Posted On October 3, 2024October 3, 2024

THE SKINNY: Right place, wrong time: the four words that describe the new album by Caribou perfectly. I’m not sure whether it’s because of scheduling errors or it’s some kind of sick, cruel joke that he decided to release such a summer-infused and shimmering album as the weather started getting cold, but here we are. Either way, his new record, Honey, is a delightful listen from start to finish. 

Describing it on its surface is pretty simple: Honey is a pretty-sounding, funk-infused electronic album. If you want to dance or just put on some music that can lift a mood, you can do it with this record. My adoration for the album goes a bit deeper than that, though, as while Caribou is consistent with that happy feel throughout the album, he also gives the LP a great breadth of versatility, but only by implementing subtle changes. It makes for a cohesive listen but one that doesn’t become repetitive. 

For an electronic album, the instruments used are relatively minimal. You have bass, synth, drums, occasional guitar, chopped-up vocals and the odd sound effect. It’s not an album that overwhelms you or feels chaotic at any point. Caribou does a great job at making synths distorted, slowly muting the bass and having some sounds overpower others in a way that creates alternating atmospheres throughout the album. At no point do you feel like you’re listening to the same song twice, but for the most part, you are listening to a song that could only ever exist on this singular sonic outing. 

Honey is a subtle display of electronic joy. Caribou is great at creating a scenescape, which he then occupies to make every aspect of this album. It’s well worth listening to, and it will be even better if we listen to it outside at festivals next summer. 

For fans of: Dancing to music at the most peaceful disco on the planet, the kind where people drink sparkling water and swap herbology techniques.

A concluding comment from a disco ball: “Baby, just give me room to spin.” 

Honey track by track 

Release: October 4th | Producer: Dan Snaith | Label: City Slang

‘Broke My Heart’: The opening song sets the album up perfectly. People are listening to this album because they want to dance, so what’s the point of slowly easing them in? After a minute of funk and crescendo, we are plunged face-first into the opening drop, which is easy to dance to and deeply exciting. [4/5]

‘Honey’: The title track builds on a foundation of subby bass and plucking keys. Your head is moving before it even drops. Rising synth sounds play a huge part in building atmosphere. There are some sections of the song where they’re all that can be heard, but that minimalist way of building things up means when everything collates and eventually drops, it’s all the more rewarding. [3.5/5]

‘Volume’: One of the more stripped-backed pieces on the album. While it still has those funky elements that CARIBOU clearly prides itself on, it’s a lot more consistent in tone. It’s still a fantastic listen; in fact, that consistency adds to the song rather than taking it away. This means that the first three opening tracks on the record don’t follow the same pattern too much, and they have a healthy blend of variety. [4/5]

‘Do Without You’: A drum and bass time signature with floating instrumentals underlay some of the most delicate-sounding vocals ever committed to a recording. The track glides seamlessly, the floating sensation provided by the instrumentation is completely unwavering and an absolute pleasure throughout. [3.5/5]

‘Come Find Me’: A melancholic electronic number. ‘Come Find Me’ is a song that always seems to be building and is incredibly peaceful in how it’s put together. It’s not quite as much of a standout as some of the other tracks on HONEY, but it’s good regardless. [3/5]

‘August 2024’: A quick song that acts as a sound effect heavy filler. It’s fun to listen to but doesn’t add a great deal. When consumed in the context of the album, it doesn’t hurt to have it there, but few people will go back to listen to ‘August 2024’. [2.5/5]

‘Dear Life’: Persistent and oscillating keys play a huge part in this piece. The same melody is repeated, but effects are added and taken away, making them sound calm to chaotic and back to calm. They do a lot of heavy lifting on this song as those effects almost seem to act as different notes, giving and taking away from a song that otherwise remains consistent. [3.5/5]

‘Over Now’: An upbeat, shimmering dance number. The bass is used teasingly in this song, as it isn’t introduced until nearly halfway through, but it adds a completely new layer to the track once it comes into play. The way that CARIBOU can use minimal instruments to make a full sound and provide variety in an album that runs the risk of becoming repetitive is a true testament to their creativity and how, by changing a little, you can change a lot. [4/5]

‘Campfire’: Scattered vocals repeat “Broke my heart,” robotic in their delivery yet still emotive. They reside over a steady plucking guitar before male vocals that steadily creep in. This is easily the most stripped-back song on the album and could find a home on a different acoustic-sounding record. Towards the end of the piece, the rapped verse ties everything into a nice bow. It’s a haphazard track, but it’s delightful in how it’s put together. [4.5/5]

‘Climbing’: Contrast the previous stripped-back number with this disco-heavy, funkadelic track; HONEY is an album that keeps the listener guessing but maintains a happy and danceable feel. The synth solo on this song is a blast from the past and an upbeatable joy. [4/5]

‘Only You’: Heavy-sounding bass and electronic kick drums pound eardrums from the word go as we creep towards the end of this album. Vocals are dreamlike and infectious. The song has a climax akin to indie bangers, replacing distorted guitars and crashing symbols with high-volume synths and clapping snares, but the sensation is the same. [4/5]

‘Got To Change’: The closing track doesn’t vary too much from those that have come before, but it doesn’t have to. The closing number felt like it was ‘Only You’, and the familiarity offered by ‘Got To Change’ is a credit sequence. We’re shown what we loved about the album in one final flurry before it gently fades into silence. [3.5/5]

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