Unknown Mortal Orchestra (studio album) by Unknown Mortal Orchestra

From drstuey 03/11/2022 07:29

Excellent lo-fi 60s rock-pop. Very lo-fi, very catchy.

At a time when most indie musicians don't seem to bother to learn to play their instruments, UMO shows up as as breath of fresh air. Ruban Nielson is keeping the tradition of guitar music alive through his clever, innovative guitar work that gathers a vast array of influences and demonstrates his literacy as a musician. Inspired by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Bill Frisell and the aforementioned Frank Zappa, Nielson has come up with an idiosyncratic style that fits perfectly with the distorted child-like vocals, funky basslines and Motorik beats present throughout the album. Fuzzy, warm melodies of whimsical nature and slice-of-life lyrics make UMO's freshman effort a perfect feel-good record.

I don't quite get people who prefer this to II, they are both very good and the sound is very similar but II is a more refined and accomplished album, this was certainly an encouraging debut but they've clearly improved since.

From sheep21 03/30/2013 05:30

One of the best albums of this century. Love the solid vibes from the rhythm section on every song and the funky guitar work. This album would be better with a better singer though.

I really like this album. The first track makes me really happy.

The punchy and psychedelic grooves are nice, but the vocals are not a strong point and several of the songs feel like ideas that weren't completely realized.