Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blessed rambles, 12 Oct 2007
Múm have gone just a little further into weirdsville with "Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy," their fourth album of chilly, quirky pop.
This time, the Icelandic experimental band sounds a little less chilly and distant, and they rely a little more heavily on glitchy, hazy circus sounds than on icy folk. And they try to cover their bases with their catchiest -- and most bizarre -- songs to date.
It opens with an odd twanging melody, which sounds like someone trying to figure out if a stringed instrument is actually playable. As guitar, flute and strings weave their way in, it begins to bloom into a smooth, warm little song. "Bless the weeds that grow beyond/Just like rain and dust appear," they croon in unison. "Go, go smear the poison ivy/Let your crooked hands be holy..."
It's followed by "A Little Bit, Sometimes," a sensual, tinkly little electro-accordion melody. And the songs that follow are no less odd: bouncy glitchpop, mellow piano ballads and swirling tinkly melodies, mournful psych-blues, driving glitch-rock, sprightly folkpop, and experimental jumbles of colourful, trickling, completely confusing music.
Múm has always been about the pretty, folky, icy pop music with plenty of experimental flourishes. And fundamentally, they stick to that in "Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy," with all sorts of odd instrumentation and electronic layers.
And yet, something is different -- Múm seems to dance from sparkling sonic mosaics to sprightly, driving indiepop at the drop of a hat. They infuse their music with a dizzying array of instruments -- melodica, acoustic guitar, accordion, rushing piano melodies, xylophone, mournful horns, flutes, and even a lonely harmonica. And, of course, glitchy hazy waves of synth are wrapped around almost everything.
Their otherworldly-pop sound is enhanced by the wispy chorale of mellow, soft voices, no matter how creepy the songs are ("If you snap it like a twig/Glue it back with little sticks"). Most of them are pretty creepy if you know the words, even during their more poetry-laden moments ("These berries are eyes/Your eyes, my eyes/Birds turn their necks/Stare at them, long for them...").
"Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy" is Múm's eeriest -- and creepiest -- album to date, a divinely pretty musical trip, with some really weird songs. Like listening to a bunch of elves on acid.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
welcome back, 4 Nov 2007
After a gap of three years and losing a distinctive vocalist, Mum left me wondering what would happen next. Some reviewers had complained about the vocals on the first three albums but I had always thought that they were one of the distinctive elements of the band.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The quirky playful elements are still there as well as the chopped up electronic percussion but the mood of the album is lighter than the previous album "Summer Make Good". The single "they made frogs smoke `til they exploded" is a good indication of the album as a whole. The samples are quite bizarre without sounding clumsy and the melody is beautiful.
The vocals are now sung as a group with a combination of female and male voices. This works quite well and reminds me of the band Efterklang. The music on this album, like its predecessor, is less electronic than the early albums and incorporates a variety of real instruments. The blending of the acoustic sounds with the more electronic side reminds me of bands like Tunng although Mum have a richer sound.
The album closes with two very strong and yet different pieces of music. "Guilty Rocks" recalls the sound of their debut album. It's quite a percussive track with a haunting melody, eerie strings and a feeling of suspense. The closing track is absolutely beautiful. It features a choir, distorted electronics and an incredible atmosphere.
Overall Mum have produced perhaps their most upbeat, confident and playful album so far. The three-year gap seems to have refreshed their outlook and the new album is very impressive. Fans of previous albums should not be disappointed.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
good album, 18 Jan 2009
very good album
£19 though on amazon
do a small amount of searching, and you will find it much cheaper
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