Unknown Mortal Orchestra – II (2013) on Jagjaguwar
Sonny Crooks
I’m not sure if Abraham Maslow was a fan of music when, in 1943, he published his landmark psychology paper on the “Theory of Human Motivation” thus creating the famed “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs“. This theory settles the very basic of needs a human must have to lead a successful life. If any of the pieces of the pyramid’s base are missing it could be to the detriment of the psychology of the person in question. If Maslow were still around and wanted to create a “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for Cohesive Songwriting” he could use Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s second album II as a strong case for how little you need to have an emotionally resonant and successful work of psychedelic art.
UMO materialized from the ether of the internet in 2010 dressed in a fog of anonymity and funky indie rock dipped in nostalgia. The production on the tracks released with their debut album Unknown Mortal Orchestra would have been enough to pique the undying fandom of most hipsters, but songwriter, guitarist, and producer Ruban Nielson had created the perfect storm–and a damn good debut.
This sophomore release been is made lean from carrying the emotional weight of depression over the months of Nielson touring with the band, and the album has come out with as little amount of frequencies as possible. It’s a clear provoking of popular radio-pop that seems to inject as many ingredients into a statement as possible to make it seem all the more “epic”. II is proof that all you need is a guitar, bass, drums, and the occasional sax solo or Moog wash of psychedelia to create a progressive rock album that doesn’t come off as pretentious or self-important. This is an album that is so svelte it might be a little shocking at first but it’s indicative of Nielson’s confidence as a songwriter.
Some people will claim that II is boring and doesn’t go anywhere but some people just can’t live with the fact that some albums are already just where they need to be. II lives within the air molecules expelled from a deep sigh of resignation to the downfalls we experience as a human. From the opening lyrics of “From The Sun”, Nielson lets us know that he’s not only lonely and tired, but he’s also too depressed to do anything about it, projecting a sense of black humor that’s almost too nuanced for it’s own good.
This sense of abdication is the mortar of the entire album. It’s warmth so envelopes you in air that this would get to be a depressing experience quickly if the melodies did not completely balance the hopelessness with a sing-along irony that will have the songs branded on your brain hours after listening. Bleak neo-psychedelia has no place being this catchy. The songs follow a strange verse-different verse-refrain-verse-different verse set up, but everything sounds like it could be a chorus, and it’s unrelenting.
This could be where II‘s only problem show’s it’s head: It’s a little repetitive at times. Songs like the anti-establishment anthem “No Need For A Leader” ends up sounding monotonously patterned because it’s slightly less immediate than the rest of the songs. This is a utilitarian issue though because I can’t blame Nielson: if I were able to mold melodies and write songs this wonderful, I’d mine them for everything they’re worth.
For Fans of: Tame Impala, Dungen, Foxygen, Pink Floyd
Key Tracks: Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark), So Good At Being In Trouble, One At A Time
Rating: 8.5/10
Imgnry Snds 