12.01.2003
matmos: "the civil war"
I’ve been listening to a lot of albums that sound as if they would have been fun to make (the slits’ "cut," the clash’s "london calling," "de la soul is dead," among others). and the most recent addition to this list is the new record by matmos—which is a tricky entry into the lexicon of "fun," I guess, being artsy and "electronic" and all.
matmos makes a habit of providing distinct thematic frameworks (basically good gimmicks, in my opinion) to each of their albums. most notable is their last record (2001’s "a chance to cut is a chance to cure"), which is composed almost entirely out of sounds from surgical procedures. these catalysts (and the new record’s title, "the civil war," should be taken literally to discover their latest) ultimately have rather little to do with what’s enjoyable about the music. but they’re also funny. and the sense of humor isn’t the garden variety robot voices and 80’s nods so typical of the genre. also, the arrangements are so good that the laughs don’t overshadow the sounds. by the time you get around to the john philips sousa cover song (I’m not kidding), you’ve already digested five tracks worth of surprising twists and turns.
the record is refreshingly organic as well. matmos has always struck me as a band that’s particularly at home with being avant-garde. which makes them hard to roll your eyes at. unlike many other names that come up under the unfortunate tag of "post rock," matmos always seem as if they’re doing precisely what they wish to be doing. these guys aren’t a bunch of fugazi fans who feel like they need to play "bitches brew" to be provocative. like much of the artists that move me most, they seem to approach intellect with great curiosity. take, for example, the wonderful track notes to "the civil war" on their website—a series of downright gleeful explanations— involving topics ranging from madonna’s "lucky star" to viennese aktionist otto muehl.
unlike some of their previous releases, the album is as versatile as a great rock record. there are a greater variety of moods to it, and the flow is a bit more accessible. which isn’t to say it’s "dumbed down" in any way. the changes are constantly surprising, and it amounts to the sort of album that feels whole when listened to from beginning to end. I miss that novel-like quality in albums lately. "the civil war" is like an epic tale of the objects encountered by curious pets. it reminds me of my cat when he’s frisky. definitely check it out.
matmos makes a habit of providing distinct thematic frameworks (basically good gimmicks, in my opinion) to each of their albums. most notable is their last record (2001’s "a chance to cut is a chance to cure"), which is composed almost entirely out of sounds from surgical procedures. these catalysts (and the new record’s title, "the civil war," should be taken literally to discover their latest) ultimately have rather little to do with what’s enjoyable about the music. but they’re also funny. and the sense of humor isn’t the garden variety robot voices and 80’s nods so typical of the genre. also, the arrangements are so good that the laughs don’t overshadow the sounds. by the time you get around to the john philips sousa cover song (I’m not kidding), you’ve already digested five tracks worth of surprising twists and turns.
the record is refreshingly organic as well. matmos has always struck me as a band that’s particularly at home with being avant-garde. which makes them hard to roll your eyes at. unlike many other names that come up under the unfortunate tag of "post rock," matmos always seem as if they’re doing precisely what they wish to be doing. these guys aren’t a bunch of fugazi fans who feel like they need to play "bitches brew" to be provocative. like much of the artists that move me most, they seem to approach intellect with great curiosity. take, for example, the wonderful track notes to "the civil war" on their website—a series of downright gleeful explanations— involving topics ranging from madonna’s "lucky star" to viennese aktionist otto muehl.
unlike some of their previous releases, the album is as versatile as a great rock record. there are a greater variety of moods to it, and the flow is a bit more accessible. which isn’t to say it’s "dumbed down" in any way. the changes are constantly surprising, and it amounts to the sort of album that feels whole when listened to from beginning to end. I miss that novel-like quality in albums lately. "the civil war" is like an epic tale of the objects encountered by curious pets. it reminds me of my cat when he’s frisky. definitely check it out.
