Momus
Folktronic
[Le Grand Magistery]
Rating: 6.4
These days, it seems the inhuman aspect of technology is approaching status
as a central theme within rock music. It's pretty logical, too-- music and
technology have always been closely intertwined, from the development of the
pianoforte in the early 18th century to the work of 20th century pioneers like
Karlheinz Stockhausen and Robert Moog. Though technology has certainly allowed
musicians to expand their sonic palettes, it seems many are eager to turn on
it in varying capacities, ranging from the all-out attack of shitty industrial
music to more subtle protests, such as the insistence on using crusty old
recording equipment.
But Momus (aka Nick Currie) has never been a follower. Over the course of his
career, he's gone from guitar-based folk music to unadulterated synth-pop to
"analog baroque." And through all this, he's still found time to have a
plaster cast of his penis made for display at a New York gallery, and write
top-selling songs for Japan's favorite kinky little girl, Kahimi Karie.
With his latest album, Momus seems to have brewed together all the elements of
his musical history-- including his oft-discussed member-- into the crazy,
glitchy electro-folk record that he has christened Folktronic. And
while, at times, Momus constructs a bitingly clever post-modern take on folk
music, Folktronic has an unfortunate tendency to choke on its own
concept, rendering the album a bit hard to swallow.
"Finnegan the Folk Hero" is the greatest success on the album-- a witty,
entertaining update of a classic theme. The song presents the tale of Finnegan,
an HTML wiz who's forced into obscurity by lack of pay, set against a backdrop
of cheap Casio keyboards and drum machines. Musically, as well as lyrically,
the song has roots in folk music; it's part western, part sea shanty. Momus'
cheesy instrumentation somehow compliments the music perfectly, and the result
is just the kind of clever enhanced-folk Momus was aiming for.
"Appalachia" is another, more eclectic example of Folktronic at its best,
taking the timeless subject of the "Appalachian mountain girl," and placing her
in a world of hyperactive drum machines, digital fuzz, and distorted baroque
synthesizers. The lyrics are not quite as clever as those of "Finnegan," but
are none the less palatable, and fit the Folktronic theme nicely.
Further kudos go to Momus for the closing the album with three songs written
for Kahimi Karie's Journey to the Centre of Me EP: "Lady of Shallot,"
"Mistaken Memories of Medieval Manhattan," and the awesomely fucked-up
Brechtian "Pygmalism." Not only are these perhaps the strongest songs Momus
has ever penned, but they also seem to fit into the record's conceptual mold
quite well.
Sadly, many of Momus' other stabs at the "Folktronic" genre fall flat.
"Mountain Music," a song based on a comment made by Johnny Cash about Beck
having "that mountain music in him," wants to be a clever commentary on the
way technology has changed access to different genres of music. Here, though,
Momus gets a bit caught up in the idea, incessantly dropping names of persons
(Massive Attack, Beck, and the late electronic innovator Bruce Haack, among
others), and devices (the Rio MP3 player) alike. Though for the majority of
the track, Momus pummels you over the head with his concept, he makes sure to
include a few genuinely witty, amusing lyrics, such as "'Moon of Alabama' is
my favorite country tune/ With lyrics by a communist and music by a Jew."
The rest of Folktronic is similarly mixed. Songs like "Tape Recorder
Man" and "The Penis Song" pair clever, funny lyrics with crap music. And much
of the rest of the album totters the line between simply mediocrity and
forgettability with a few particularly obnoxious flaws like the '80s-inspired
"Robocowboys" and the awkward, bluesy "Smooth Folk Singer."
Still, when taken as a whole, Folktronic's plusses certainly outweigh
its minuses. This is Momus being Momus; he still sounds like Donovan, and he's
still as quirky, arrogant, and witty as ever. Though the record is far from
the genre-defining landmark Momus likely intended to be, it certainly ranks
among his better works. My advice to diehard Momus fans: log off
littlejapanesegirls.com, zip up your pants, and get your ass to the record
store. The rest of you can take a hint from the man himself: put technology
to use for you and pull a few tracks off Napster to see if it's your thing.
-Matt LeMay