Heading to Godrich’s studio in May 2022, Caribou’s “From The Basement” session was recorded just as the four-piece headed out on a repeatedly rescheduled tour. Largely performing songs from Caribou’s 2020 record “Suddenly”, the recording sees each member huddled in a chaotic circle of drum kits, Apple Macs and keyboards. Each executing a layered variety of sounds, the outcome is a nightclub within a house-show set up—where Caribou’s members play calmly (and comfortably, with their shoes off), while Godrich and his team bob their heads in the background.
Yet even within this relaxed environment, it’s the level of precision of each member you’re likely to walk away astounded by. Within seconds of opening with the track “New Jade”, the harmonic tone of Snaith and Schmersal’s combined voices is exactly as it sounds on record, while Weber and Smith play drums and guitar with such accuracy you could mistake them for samples. Weber’s rigor is continually noticeable on the second track, “Ravi”, as he switches between a drum pad and kit—later joined by Snaith for a double-drummed outro. The session then ends with the 2021 elation-inducing single, “You Can Do It”, for seven minutes of escalating joy.
