fatandconfused

Is the new Múm album really so bad?

Múm – Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy (FatCat)

I’ve been quite surprised to see how badly the new album from Icelandic (currently) septet Múm, described on the reliable Silent Ballet website as follows:

“let's just say this is one to put on the shelf and watch it collect dust…this album fails at accomplishing any sort of goal, and even raises the question if one exists in the first place. There's an anxiety behind the track, and many others that really prevents anything from being carried out completely. Thoughts are left completely abandoned, mid-sentence, and rarely do we see anything fleshed out to form any sort of understandable statement.”

Rating it at a measly 3 out of 10, it seems that there has been further negativity towards the album from other reliable sources and so it’s with caution that I stick my neck out, that I pipe up above the crowds and ask “Is it really that bad?” I started this fanzine in paper format initially with the idea of promoting good music, sharing with people music that I have fallen in love with, hence why you will normally find just positive reviews on here, I see no point in telling people what I don’t like, what’s disappointed me. For one of the first times though I feel that I could be wrong, how can there be so much disdain for an album that I have loved from the very first listen to now where new songs keep popping out into the foreground, is it because although having the Múm back catalogue I’ve never given it the time I imagine it deserves, yes I loved Green Grass of Tunnel but really who didn’t? maybe those devout followers were expecting something more spectacular, something more progressive and I’ll admit that at times the timid production does sound like that of a band debut opposed to their fourth/fifth (?) album but to me that adds a certain Icelandic magical charm to it, the delicate icy frozen nature of the twinkling lullaby’s within are made that little bit more childlike and naïve, slowly tip toeing through the snow on cold winters nights.

Perhaps it’s the new line up, after all now not only one of the twins that famously graced Belle & Sebastian’s Fold Your Hands album cover have left the band, with Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir following her sisters footsteps departing at some point in 2006. It was her voice that alongside the electronic glitches, beats and effects, and the variety of traditional and unconventional instruments that made the band’s sound so distinct. So now we have the inclusion of more prominent male vocals not too distant from those of the excellent Mice Parade and particularly on the Books-ian cut up glitch of single They Made Frogs Smoke ‘Til They Exploded the much missed synth pop of Kanda. Marmalade Fires are what the Delgados would’ve sounded like had they purchased a laptop rather than split up. Dancing Behind My Eyelids is again lovely and playful, again reminding us of Kanda and mixing amstrad-esque loading screens with truly delightful melodies. School Song Misfortune is again naïve and playful like some strange childhood dream sequence, lullaby’s for an Icelandic kindergarten.

The closing triplet of songs are somewhat more somber and melancholy in sound, and perhaps those will please long term fans, mainly instrumental and occasionally haunting, particularly so the dense and dark forest walk in the middle of the night that is I Was Her Horse. Guilty Rocks is everything you’ve ever read about Stereolab yet down several times better and closer Winter (What We Never Were After All) is again haunting and angelic icy keyboards set to choir like Viking film chorales, delightful and refreshing, as I listen again I can only convince myself further of how special this album is.

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FatCat Records

Múm - Dancing Behind My Eyelids MP3

Múm - They Made Frogs Smoke'Til They Exploded MP3

Múm - Moon Pulls MP3

Many apologies for the long absence, as ever i've been filling my ears with much great music and have struggled to know where to start where it comes to reviews. I also keep forgetting to mentiion that the kid people at FatCat have let us put some songs on our MYSPACE for your listening pleaseure so please take advantage. As well if anyone is interested i have uploaded for free download our album and ep of a few years back at the following links
Times are Bad for Dreamers
Dressed in Yellow

Mice Parade – Mice Parade (FatCat)

Mice Parade return with their fifth and self titled album picking up much where they left off on the wonderful Bem Vida Vontade an album that accompanied me in to world of dreams on many an occasion during 2005 and again that element is there, NOT to say that in any way that Mice Parade are boring or that their approach is the musical equivalent of paint drying, instead that their music is so pure and organic, melodies weaved with needles, like wicker baskets on gingham tablecloths, both traditional and timeless with the ability to take you to just about any place you wish, just close your eyes and let the music take you.

The heavily delayed and distorted guitars are there as ever, accompanied by intelligent lines and hand claps executed quite beautifully 42 seconds into The Last Ten Homes which totally breaks down and rebuilds in little less than 30 seconds, and is all the better for the renovation.

Perhaps the tracks most likely to stand out are those featuring guest vocals. Tales of Las Negras sees a lovely duet develop between Adam Pierce and Stereolabs Laetitia Sadier but as ever the best track on most Mice Parade albums are those that feature Kristin Anna Valtysdottir of Múm, dare I say I believe she is better utilised within Mice Parade than her own band. The delicate Scandinavian Isobel-alike whisper of a vocal sung in Icelandic over gentle arpeggios and flamenco percussion rhythms is a real highlight and in itself absent-minded and majestic, Adams low vocals (at least in comparison) compliment each other so well, its like Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan in soft focus, gentle and delightful. But that’s not to take away from the other tracks, each one a textured nugget of a dream sequence bound to calm the nerves and help you temporarily forget the pressing issues of the day, a lovely album to simply sit back and lose your self to.
http://www.myspace.com/miceparade22
www.myspace.com/fatcatrecords
www.bubblecore.com/artists/mparade/

Stuffy/The Fuses – Angels Are Ace (Sour Puss)

Stuffy/The Fuses – Ahhh Song/Cardboard Song (Sour Puss)

I decided some time ago that I don’t really like Stuffy/The Fuses from the weird typesetting of their name to his voice and not to mention the artwork, again on the album Angels Are Ace its reliably horrible BUT WAIT as I give them another chance, admittedly this is when the double ASide Ahhh Song/Cardboard Song falls through my door that I think I should give them another chance, after all its only two songs and I like the cover on this, I like the way they’ve chosen two songs so lazily titled that they include the word song in the title, like they couldn’t be bothered to think up a real name and I’m immediately slapped in the face by the wonderful Ahhh Song, a lovely slab of P-O-P that has all the ingredients used to cook up the Ooberman classics that saw me turn 18, a blast of drums last hit so hard by The Deathray Davies on opening track of The Day of Ray, Is This On, “ah-ah-ah-ahaaaaaah-ah-ha-ah” she sings before those magic keyboards come in, cheap as chips and as classic as the solo from Belle and Sebastian’s Mayfly. Cardboard Song is equally as good and really should be on the album, all poptastic like they used to do it, finger melodies cheekily appearing here, there and everywhere.

And so out comes the album and the treats don’t stop, the press release says Fugazi and I guess at times like on the intense yet fantastic Spineless I can hear their influence mixed in with a healthy dose of pop appreciation, McClusky, Warm Jets, Echobelly, Elastica (Joe C (is an idiot)), Clearlake and Dalmatian Rex and the Eigontenes all spring to mind along with the aforementioned Ooberman, shades of the remains of the outer circles of Britpop and a book full of clever hooks bookmarked by two lovely instrumental pieces. Forget Angels Are Ace, Stuffy/The Fuses Are Ace!

www.myspace.com/stuffythefuses

www.stuffythefuses.net 
 
Catch them live here…

7th - Sonic, Norwich 01603 622533

8th - The New Adelphi Club, Hull 01482 348216

16th - Carpe Diem, Leeds 0113 243 6264

17th - 13th Note, Glasgow 0141 553 1638

19th - The Surgery, Stafford 01785 605605

20th - Head of Steam, Newcastle 0191 2304236

21st - Cert 18, York 01904 627679

27th - The Basement, Chelmsford

28th - Green Room, Welwyn Garden City 01707 372 700

29th - Café Saki, Manchester

30th - The Priors, Bury St Edmunds 01284 748941

1st - The Albert, Brighton 01273 730499

2nd - Half Moon, London

My Sad Captains – Bad Decisions (Fortuna Pop!)

Ah the summer, those sunny days, the smell of freshly cut grass and light evenings, drinking outside and generally feeling good about yourself. These days are few and far between but when they arrive you need nothing more than a song like Fortuna Pops new signing My Sad Captains Bad Decisions to turn up full blast and fling open your windows to announce their arrival to the world. Bababa’s galore from her as he tells of “I would like to see you confused/ see all your excuses used…Its all messed up so I start again/ but what’s the point when I never win/ and I’ve thought of a few /Bad Decisions that will bring some comfort to you”

BSide Here and Everywhere is equally as summery, reminiscent of those early Track and Field releases, bands like Tompaulin, Kicker, The Tyde, Camera Obscura and perhaps Aberfeldy, lovely duets to while away your summer away to.

http://www.mysadcaptains.co.uk/
www.myspace.com/mysadcaptains
www.myspace.com/fortunapoprecords
www.fortunapop.com

Fanfarlo – A Fire Escape (White Heat Records)

Starting off gargling notes of lovely electronic sounds last utilised so well by Grandaddy, Fanfarlos follow up to the excellent Talk Backwards in another sure fire

Winner full of little ideas all wrapped up into one summer-tastic tune that you’ll want to be putting on repeat over the next few months. The range of instruments on offer suggest similarities to Belle and Sebastian especially the trumpet solo but equally both songs here are so strong that simple comparisons would be unfair.

On the evidence available here and on the previous single it would be quite rational to imagine that Fanfarlo could really be quite dangerous given the funds and means, for now though this will more than suffice, certainly one to keep an eye on.

http://myspace.com/fanfarlo
http://www.myspace.com/whiteheatrecords

Scout Niblett – Just Do It/ Dinosaur Egg (Too Pure)

I love Scout Niblett and that is no unsupported rubbish, check here, there is something mysteriously original about her simple songs, some feature little more than her and her drums and that voice, again fading Miss Marshall into the insignificance of all the hype that surrounds her. I wonder what goes through her mind, what inspires her to write songs about dinosaur eggs (I wonder no longer, on further inspection the CD sleeve reveals that the lyrics are taken from David Shrigleys book of noodles released by Tomlab), how she makes so much noise, how she can turn the sparsest pickings into near on metal like riffage, still I don’t wonder too much cos that would take away the simple pleasure of listening, the unconsciously brainwashing nature of the songs, the times I’ve sat at work singing away to myself “we’re all-ha-all gonna die, were all gonna die” to looks of confusion and disgust.

Dinosaur Egg tells the tale of erm a Dinosuar Egg unsurprisingly that refuses to hatch and in a way so the song refuses to hatch, never reaching the heavy heights you perhaps imagine it would but at the same time sometime not getting what you want can make you stronger and in this instance Scout again in taking the least expected route succeeds in producing something new and refreshing, her vocals scaling new heights and beauty and delight.

However if for some reason you find yourself disappointed that Dinosaur Egg never quite reaches the climax of tracks like Hot to Death and Lullaby for Scout in 10 Years then you may well also be disappointed by Just Do It which teases and teases for six and half minutes before threatening to explode, instead settling for a minor blast of distortion and angular shapes. I can see that one or two may be disappointed but any sensible person would go and add this to their record collection as soon as possible or at very least promise to buy just one of her albums. I love scout.

www.toopure.com
www.myspace.com/scoutniblett
http://www.scoutniblett.com/

July