Rapid Fire Reviews: Two Parts Indie One Part Pop with Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Wednesday & The New Pornographers

V - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

If you've surprised this review ended up in a rapid fire, join the club. I've long been a champion of this band and I've liked some of the singles from this album a lot including That Life which was among my favorite singles of 2021. I was pretty excited for the album to come out and I listened to it immediately but somehow it just managed to fall through the cracks in a sea of notable records released in the last month and change. But I do want to get my thoughts out on the record in some formal way given how much I've talked up the band's previous material. While there are definitely things that make this record unique in the band's discography so much of what they've always been known for is on display. Take the opening track The Garden which displays some of the same psychedelic guitar tones, infectious refrains, and circular structure that have made so many great UMO songs in the past. Unfortunately, the next four songs all work to demonstrate some of the issues I have with the record, but we'll get there later.

This record definitely has its highlights, starting with the spectacular That Life which still sounds as good today as when I first heard it and I'm glad it managed to make it on the tracklist even though it's been a while. I've also grown to absolutely love Layla with its wiry guitar riffs and absolutely infectious chorus. The song has this killer foundation that is memorable from the first time you hear it and builds on top of that perfectly. While I'm not quite as crazy about other singles like Nadja and I Killed Captain Cook I still think both songs are solid highlights that certainly deserve to be on the record. My biggest problem with the album, which manifests mostly on the deep cuts, comes from a combination of uninspired lo-fi production that holds them back from being as sweet and satisfying as they should be, as well as songwriting that isn't up to the band's previous standards. There are actually some instrumentals on the album that I like quite a bit but a lot of the deep cuts here are made up of slightly drab sonic textures and forgettable refrains, both of which are new vices for Unknown Mortal Orchestra. There are plenty of good songs here that are worth hearing, especially for those that are already fans, but it might be the band's least satisfying full-length experience ever, or at least in quite a long time. 6/10

Rat Saw God - Wednesday

Wednesday is a band whose local buzz I've been hearing about now and again for a LONG time and while I had heard some of their material and even seen them play before, this was the first time I really took a deep dive into one of their records. It turned out to be good timing as well with the band signing to Dead Oceans and releasing what has easily been their most talked-about record yet including a massive outpouring of praise from a few key publications. While I had heard the singles as they were released none of them really knocked my socks off until I heard the beautiful TV In The Gas Pump which ultimately serves as a sweet but incredibly satisfying finale to the album. Speaking of knocking my socks off though, I had kind of forgotten just how confrontational Bull Believer is, and hearing it as the defacto album opener continued to completely invigorate me every time I put the record on. The crux of this record is a desire to bounce between energetic and often quite electric indie rock jams which never really abandon their folk elements but certainly don't make them the priority. Even though I wasn't crazy about the churning heartland riffs on Chosen To Deserve at first the song managed to be another single that grew on me with every listen, in no small part to one rewarding lyrical detail after another pitched out on the verses. 

Where the album shines even brighter, however, is when the band strips things back and goes straight-up indie folk. As well as they can rock they seem even better equipped to hone in and weave gentle beauty into the folds of the record's quietest songs. While TV is the best example of this it's far from the only one. Early on the record Formula One provides a gorgeous respite from one of the record's only low points Got Shocked. Another highlight is Quarry which is serving as a sort of breakout anthem for the band since it first came out and for good reason. The dreamy swaying verses feel straight out of Kinks' song during the band's absolute sunniest era and they slip seamlessly into a hook that has some serious power and edge to it. This album really does live up to the expectations set by publications everywhere calling this a breakout. While it certainly isn't flawless it displays a versatile talent and some extremely high levels of execution. For indie rock and indie folk fans, this is pretty much can't miss material. Even though I hope this isn't the group's peak and they can use this as a platform to release something even better, there are a lot of bands out there that can't even hope to put out a record as solid as Rat Saw God. 7.5/10 

Continue As A Guest - The New Pornographers

While I've never been a superfan for this Canadian supergroup, there's no denying that when the talent involved can create great things when operating at full capacity. While the examples start to thin out as their career goes on I was surprised by the amount of enjoyment I've gotten out of 2014's Brill Bruisers and 2017's Whiteout Conditions in the years since they first came out. And even though I wasn't that into their follow-up in 2019 it still had its moments and four years feels like plenty of time for the band to regain their form and take their indie-flavored power pop back to its heights. Unfortunately, after a trio of singles that I would describe as sweet but very forgettable, it didn't look likely that they would pull that off. Turns out they fall even further short than I was anticipating. This album is exhaustingly safe and rarely sees the band pursuing any ideas that they haven't covered before. Occasionally, their expertise shines through with a clever refrain or infectiously layered guitar lick but those moments are few and far between. Those two singles which start the album off, which I felt were painfully boring on their own, turned out to be some of the record's biggest highlights. The downfall of the album clearly isn't a lack of quality performances or production, it's a lack of quality ideas and ambition. More so than any other New Pornographers album, this one sounds purely uneventful and uninspired. 4/10