ALBUM REVIEW - Mugison - Is this Monkey Music?
According to various sources on the “internet”, Mugison is the third biggest superstar in Iceland, behind Bjork and Sigur Ros. I really wish I lived in Iceland. It must be awesome if Mugison and his CD Mugimama! Is this Monkey Music? is not only well received but results in superstar status. American radio would probably refuse delivery on this, let alone play it.
Mugimama! Is this Monkey Music? is a collection of odd love songs, bawdy light rockers and downright weird Beck-inflected pastiches that I absolutely love. The recordings are a little rough around the edges, the arrangements are untraditional to say the least and some of the lyrics are either stream of consciousness or the result of English not being Mugison’s first language. No matter, the CD oozes creativity and inspiration.
The performances have a manic, anxious quality adding to the overall unstable feel of the recording. The CD opens with the heart-wrenching I Want You, probably the most produced track on the CD. The open lyric is VERY reminiscent of The Beatles’ I Want You (She’s So Heavy) – so much so that it is jarring when you don’t hear the “want you so bad” after the opening line. From the koto-esque guitar line to surprisingly upbeat “Baby, Let’s Go Dancing” chorus it’s a great track.
Other CD highlights include the quiet and beautiful 2 Birds (a duet with his wife Raina), Sad as a Truck (an existential construct that features the oddest and a somewhat disturbing arena rock chorus I have heard in a while (to quote: Come on everybody raise your right hand and slap your face, come on, uhn - ah, ah, ah, ah…ah, ah, ah, ah…[crazy cackling] ) and the single that took Iceland by storm, Murr Murr.
I don’t know if this disc is for everybody. It’s such an oddly constructed collection of music, that some might find it hard to follow. I think it is a brilliant display of creativity that should be heard and admired for it’s pure (almost insane) display of creativity and emotion.
Gaito says: If you like, this I bet we’ll get along.
Favorite Tracks:
I Want You
2 Birds
Sad as a Truck
Murr Murr
Hold on 2 Happiness
Mugimama! Is this Monkey Music? is a collection of odd love songs, bawdy light rockers and downright weird Beck-inflected pastiches that I absolutely love. The recordings are a little rough around the edges, the arrangements are untraditional to say the least and some of the lyrics are either stream of consciousness or the result of English not being Mugison’s first language. No matter, the CD oozes creativity and inspiration.
The performances have a manic, anxious quality adding to the overall unstable feel of the recording. The CD opens with the heart-wrenching I Want You, probably the most produced track on the CD. The open lyric is VERY reminiscent of The Beatles’ I Want You (She’s So Heavy) – so much so that it is jarring when you don’t hear the “want you so bad” after the opening line. From the koto-esque guitar line to surprisingly upbeat “Baby, Let’s Go Dancing” chorus it’s a great track.
Other CD highlights include the quiet and beautiful 2 Birds (a duet with his wife Raina), Sad as a Truck (an existential construct that features the oddest and a somewhat disturbing arena rock chorus I have heard in a while (to quote: Come on everybody raise your right hand and slap your face, come on, uhn - ah, ah, ah, ah…ah, ah, ah, ah…[crazy cackling] ) and the single that took Iceland by storm, Murr Murr.
I don’t know if this disc is for everybody. It’s such an oddly constructed collection of music, that some might find it hard to follow. I think it is a brilliant display of creativity that should be heard and admired for it’s pure (almost insane) display of creativity and emotion.
Gaito says: If you like, this I bet we’ll get along.
Favorite Tracks:
I Want You
2 Birds
Sad as a Truck
Murr Murr
Hold on 2 Happiness
posted by Gaito at 1:32 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home