Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love

Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Multi-Love
2015
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love

Phased Lo-Fi vocals, synthy guitars and that "warm" vinyl buzz in the background are all the hallmarks of a hipster hit. Multi-Love is filled with these kinds of tropes from start to finish, almost to the point where you miss out on some of the really good music that is going on. The album has a super specific aesthetic that you are either going to really like or just kind of be ok with. However the fact is this record is almost perfectly produced. Each sound, each note is so deliberate and so maintained that it creates an air of perfection that is hard to wrap your mind around. At the same time Multi-Love sounds classic and from another era it still fits nicely up against anything from today. The album sounds great, but is almost that greatness that doesn't really make you want to listen again. It is not that the record sounds forced, it is more that it does not sound organic. You are looking for some kind of human aspect to the record, and while the lyrics are quite sad and real burring them underneath distorted vocals negates any power they may have had. You are forced to take the album for what it is rather than dig deep into what it could possibly be.

You have to wait until the final track "Puzzles" to really hear some emotion from Ruban Nielson's voice. This song really is the best on the entire album and it's sad that it comes at the end.You have been waiting the entire record for Nielson to really feel what He is saying rather than just saying it. "Puzzles" is also the longest track on the album at just over seven minutes, but it just flies by. At only Nine tracks all of Multi-Love seems to go very quick, and attribute other records in the same vein can't claim. At times the record is taking a page out of Tame Impala's most recent album, especially on "Ur Life One Night" which is eerily similar. There is a whole lot going on with this record and to write it off as just Lo-Fi or some kind of flippant concept would be taking the wrong approach. Multi-Love is one to sit with and really experience, even if that means you don't like it in the end.

7 out of 10