Caribou

Andorra - Merge Records It took about 40 years for technology to allow other musicians to do what it took Brian Wilson just months to do with the landmark Beach Boys' album Pet Sounds. Now other artists can recreate some of his magic without the use of an enormous studio or the funding of a large record company like Capitol. The band Caribou is, for the most part, a one-man project by Dan Snaith, who recorded Andorra in the comfort of his own home. Although I have never met Snaith, I feel certain that he owns a copy of Pet Sounds. Andorra is a psychedelic pop record that borrows from the '60s pop/psych movement, with a bit of bubblegum thrown in as well. Some musicians who record at home tend to keep it simple, with results that can seem unfinished. Others don't know when to stop, and their records can get convoluted. Snaith hits the nail of the home-recording process on the head. Andorra can be played as background music at parties, or you can pick it to pieces with your headphones on. Either way, it will stand up well, so fire up some incense, find your beaded curtains, and find the inner hippie in you that you have repressed for so long. "Turn on, tune in, and drop out" for 45 minutes. I promise you won't regret it. ¦