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Caribou at the Paradise

Caribou with Holy Fuck
Paradise Rock Club
Boston, MA
September 19

Daniel Snaith is enjoying an extraordinary year. Swim – the latest LP from his Caribou brainchild – has seen sweeping critical praise while the band Snaith has taken on the road is thick in the midst of constant touring. Fellow countrymen Holy Fuck are also taking advantage of a watershed period, gracing a bevy of festival stages and receiving healthy exposure in the American and European markets. The Paradise, a classic Boston University haunt, played host to the two Canadian acts on just one of many successful nights of their autumn tour.

Holy Fuck’s oddball lo-fi dance tunes got heads nodding as bassist Matt “Punchy” McQuaid lived up to his nickname, driving each tune with rigorous finesse. Brian Borcherdt and Graham Walsh lead the group with an array of keyboards and heavily effected vocalizations. While some of their tracks could benefit from a bit more time to achieve full climax, there is a palpable coherence to the dynamic of the band, and the 20’s-heavy crowd showed them plenty of love.

The panoply only mounted in intensity as Snaith took the stage. Unassuming as he appears in casual street clothes, the frontman and doctor of mathematics packs a formidable punch while leading his backing trio. Opening with ‘Leave House’, John Schmersal’s thumping bass line evoked LCD Soundsystem as Snaith established his current taste for maudlin falsetto musings. ‘Kaili’ followed, the dreamy Swim standout augmented by more drums than its studio version with great success.

While Brad Weber keeps time with splashy flare, Snaith alternates between keys and his own kit. The minimalist dirge of ‘Bowls’ gave way to lush overtones, a hook reminiscent of 90’s dance-pop disguised as a dark film score, and ultimately Snaith and Weber’s collective pummelling. Such instances of dual percussion typically result in cacophonous tribal outbursts, which on this night were only marred by the occasionally muddy sound – a shortcoming of the concave room and not the band itself.

A mid-set rendition of ‘Odessa’, the subdued yet purposeful lead track from Swim, had the dancefloor buzzing with its Depeche Mode-esque vocals and laid back groove. ‘Hannibal’ made its play for highlight of the night, as synthesized horns and muted e-drums patiently built to ecstatic results. ‘Jamelia’ then showcased the finest melodic offering of the evening before a seriously extended version of ‘Sun’ wrapped things up in staggering, albeit repetitive, fashion. In light of Snaith’s academic pedigree, it’s safe to say that every sound emanating from his stage is thoroughly calculated. In 2010, he may have just come upon the perfect formula.