When I think about pop music there are a few mechanisms that I tend to not associate other genres with, such as the manipulation of old sounds and styles to make a point or reflect another time on our own. This ended up being the case with the fantastic 2010 albums from Ariel Pink and Twin Shadow, and most recently the self-titled debut from Cults. I started to pick up on this trend recently, wondering why it’s so popular in the independent pop scene to make your music sound “not of this time” and I came to a conclusion: reflection is what is defining our generation. As we look at the past we notice things similar to our own time and that can be used a powerful tool in music. This method has prevented pop music from becoming stale, but the real dilemma for an artist is creating the perfect balance between the past, the present, and even the future.
This is Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s self-titled debut album (not to be confused with their now obsolete EP that is also self-titled) and the rant in the first paragraph having nothing to do with Unknown Mortal Orchestra, in fact has everything to do with them. See, my general opinion of them wasn’t amazing without having any knowledge of their sound, immediately thinking it was going to be the same extremely pretentious bullshit that these past few years have been famous for. No.
I thought this album sounded pretty cool the moment it started with “FFunny FFrends”, with its funk-inspired drums and highly structured melody being produced in a manner more familiar to indie-rock. Sure, that doesn’t sound crazy appealing on paper, but their execution more than makes up for it. There wasn’t anything complicated to what I was hearing, but I could sense that the sound and style were pretty well thought-out. And that’s fine. As of this review, I’m in a rut where complicated music just doesn’t click like it usually does. That could change by next week but it will not change how good UMO is.
I have heard comparisons to Tame Impala, which are warranted in some respects, but I think that this band is out to do something completely different. Tame Impala is set in this realm of modern psychedelic rock but UMO has a little bit of everything on it. From “Nerve Damage!”, a song reminiscent to the grungy garage rock of Thee Oh Sees and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, to the just-plain-fun tune of “How Can U Luv Me”, a loving tribute to soul-singles of the 1970s. With the whole “70s with the modern touch” theme splattered throughout this album, I cannot help but appropriately compare UMO to Javelin. They are both going about this theme in different ways, but I enjoy both UMO and Javelin in the same way. It’s the kind of music that you don’t need to give a shit about, so just turn it up in your car, go five miles above the speed limit, and enjoy the ride.
WINNER: Unknown Mortal Orchestra by Unknown Mortal Orchestra
WHY: The fun of UMO is undeniable and if you’re looking for an album to encompass a good chunk of your summer feelings, I highly recommend giving this a try.
Fermata over Whole Rest 