Last week ScooterDMan and I began a project to lay out our top ten new albums of 2007. Each day this week we will reveal another one of our pick but much like our first installments of this series we are introducing a twist.
Furthering the spirit of collaboration, after we disclose our own choice we will respond to each other’s pick. Not in a mere five words like last week, but in as many as it takes to flesh out our position. After my review of this record, check out what ScooterDMan thought of the selection in green.
5. Menomena - Friend or Foe
The sophomore effort from this Portland trio, Menomena’s Friend or Foe is one of the most heavily textured, fantastically arranged albums of the year. The sound is cavernous and rich, filled with dramatic crescendos and a million little insignificant pieces consistently building to form one gigantic, grand, almost overwhelming whole.
The very first track, ”Muscle ‘n Flo”, immediately showcases the band’s fondness for subtle yet almost constant changes in tempo to create an evocative, vibrant feeling. As well, the band establishes its preference to build towering sonic structures from short, quick pieces of sound rather than from extended riffs and rhythms. The song is a combination of small spurts of drums, keys, bass, guitar, and synth pedals all pieced together to form a seamless whole.
Where the first song creates a continuous sound from disparate parts it is followed by ”The Pelican” which is a study in dissonance using jagged, harsh tones and sudden, abrupt stops to shape a menacing, foreboding atmosphere. It’s intentionally abrasive, sonically angst-filled and destructive, and an auditory snapshot of barely controlled chaos.
”Wet and Rusting” continues a stellar open to the record with a sweet sound in stark contrast to “The Pelican” and at first a far simpler construction than both prior tracks. The song builds in complexity as it runs, adding layers, simplifying, then adding more layers taking what was a small, unassuming song into the realm of the enormous. More than anything else, it’s this interplay between minimal presentations and grandiose flourishes that typifies this record and makes it so compelling.
This dynamic is most noticeable just past the halfway point on the album with the dazzling ”My My”. Epic from the outset, it’s thick and heavy with frequent swells crashing into crisply defined valleys.
Not only does Menomena create music with a wide array of tools – drums, bass, guitar, keys, pedals, saxophone, glockenspiel, shakers – the three split vocal duties adding even more diversity and depth to their sound. The sheer musicianship of these three is astounding and combined with terrific songwriting they have crafted a true stand-out in this year heavy with excellent releases.
Other notable tracks:
“Rotten Hell”
ScooterDMan’s take: “This is the album that got lost in the shuffle for me in 2007. I just didn’t spend enough time with it, and though I regret that, the nice thing about good music is that it doesn’t expire. Opening track “Muscle n’ Flo” and third track “Wet and Rusting” made it onto the highly selective playlist that automatically syncs to my iPhone’s tiny hard drive, so they’ve gotten plenty of plays this year. And how could they not? Their chaotic arrangements and beautiful horn and piano fills prove immediately that Menomena have picked up right where they left off with their critically acclaimed 2003 debut I Am The Fun Blame Monster. That this album did not make my year end list is a testament to the sheer amount of quality music that was produced in 2007 and the limited amount of time we had to allocate for listening. I’ll be giving this one more attention over the next few weeks (Hey, 2007 ain’t over yet!) and will be looking forward to their next effort.”
The Top Ten So Far:
Check back in each day this week to hear our picks for the best albums of the year.
© Eric Atienza 2007 for Listen In. Some rights reserved.
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
You must log in to post a comment.