Well I have been listening to this Menomena album for quite some time now and I am not sure why I haven’t written it up before. It has turned into one of my most played CD’s of the year after picking up on it from @FRabbits ( I think). I know they have had stuff out before but they were still new to me.

Although there is no real comparison I have had a bit of a Grizzly Bear moment with this, to start with not sure, but repeated listens have done the trick. I am not at all sure what some of this is on about but the combination of actually some very catchy tunes (oh is that not really allowed these days?) and the plethora of instruments and odd noises generate an intriguing and satisfying sound. Their ways of writing and recording make heavy use of the Digital Looping Record or Deeler (apparently) which is touched on in their useful Wikipedia entry and a longer discussion in an article on Tape Op magazine gives more insights, albeit from 2005.

One of the things I really warmed to is the drumming – always right up there at the front of the mix and driving on even on the more laid backtracks, there is a fabulous squelchy quality to it which makes me want to take up drums despite my legendary problems with holding a beat. The drums on my fav track Five Little Rooms is a great example of the drumming that I would love to do – its a weird track, slightly threatening and disturbed, and all the better for it.

A fine album of creativity and character. They are supporting The National for one date in November but, damn and blast , not the night I see them… oh well maybe anther time for a live version.