The name is fun to say. Also, the new record is not bad.
Menomena, a creative rock band from Portland, Ore., released its third album, [i[Friend and Foe[/], as though the band had a different audience member in mind for each track.
Which makes for an interesting listen. Menomena embraces dissonance and a dense, schizophrenic hodgepodge of sounds. The innovative result keeps the listener guessing, never for a second lost to boredom.
While members Brent Knopf and Justin Harris man a variety of instruments, the real star is percussionist Danny Seim.
According to their Web site, most songs are the result of a computer program designed by Knopf. The program, called Deeler, creates loops made from seemingly random sounds made by members who pass a microphone around a circle in what they call a democratic process. The files are arranged into songs then the drum parts are learned and played live by Seim. So even though the album sounds completely electronic, surprisingly it isn't.
As a result, the songs are largely percussion driven and move along in jerky randomness. At times, vocals leave something to be desired. But this is forgivable, seeing as they are hardly the emphasis, anyway. Compact layering leaves the music without room to breathe. But the juxtapositions are worked so that many elements are made complementary. Or, as in Boyscout'n
egg each other on.
Every single song is entertaining. Some, like Running are hard to understand, but still warrant a listen.
Of exceptional genius are The Pelican a sharper, more intense rock song than the rest of the album, and Wet And Rusting
a more dulled composition with mesmerizing guitar and piano melodies prodded along by a staccato drum beat. The vocal and instrumental layering on the latter comes close to perfect.
It's hard to say what kind of mood you'd have to be in to really appreciate Menomena's latest creation. Certainly, Friend and Foe is too intense for casual background music. The complexity is involving. Interestingly, Menomena released an album of instrumental music a couple of years ago for a dance company. So maybe Friend and Foe isn't party friendly. Interpretive dance, anyone?
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Archives
Susie Shutts
CD to be released tomorrow
