múm ‎– Finally We Are No One

No matter how this record may drift in its childlike drapery and lull with the unyielding morose pace of a gastropod – the calculation of its lowercase guile is even more alarmingly saturated. From the comma inflicted song titles to the sanitized vocals of virtuousness; the absence of any dialectical obstruction in amidst the fairly light usage of electronics and coated post-rock contrivances suggests “finally” never succumbed to any prior process to begin with. R

This album is filled with some magical melodies, but for some reason it has never been able to keep my interest for more than two or three songs. Maybe that's because of the lulling nature of the music: long quiet sections in songs, the half-whispering vocals, most of the tempos seem to match the BPM of a sleeping person's heartbeat. I'd have to say this album is dangerous to listen to while driving late at night!

However, I think I finally found a place for it. This album is perfect for playing at babies' bedtimes. You can think of it as an ultra-cool baby's lullaby CD. The whole thing is gentle, with really no surprises or sudden changes in volume. Lots of nice glitchy beats, melodica, violin, guitar, and [some kind of] idiophone. I particularly enjoy the couple tracks of glitchy/ processed music box abstractions.

Anyway, if you are thinking about purchasing this album because of the sublime single "Green Grass of Tunnel", which is the most upbeat song on the album, you might be a bit disappointed. This album is extremely boring. If you are in need of a nice sleep aid or background music, this will do the job. Sorry, but this is my conclusion after listening and re-listening to this release for about ten years now.

Gentle, elegant, folktronic. Múm's album FINALLY WE ARE NO ONE adds a crucial element to their sound: voices. On "Green Grass of Tunnel," it becomes the focal point, the light through which the kaleidoscope shines. “Now There’s That Fear Again” is darker and moodier, like a lost 4AD track. But the majority of the album is instrumentals, but they are equally compelling. "Don't Be Afraid, You Have Just Got Your Eyes Closed" has a delicate and sprightly sense of fun. The final track, “The Land Between Solar Systems” combine vocals and instrumental possibilities into a spacious track, a dreamy and evocative journey.

This is an excellent record that defies easy classification. Emotionally evocative and very human, but also a true piece of electronic music. Múm's first album (not counting their obscure early releases), "Yesterday Was Dramatic...," while no means a bad record, leaned heavily toward the IDM sound. The Aphex Twin influences were apparent. In contrast, their sophomore album keeps some of the IDM references but adds extensive live orchestration. I've heard people say that they prefer that first album, but I find this one much more engaging. (Admittedly, though, I haven't given the first album nearly as good of a listen as the second.)

One may be tempted to put this record in the "indietronica" niche. It was released just six or seven months after Dntel's "Life is Full of Possibilities," another great album with some striking similarities. (Anyone notice that both records, in addition to having very similar feels, both sample fireworks at the end of tracks? Eery coincidence.) As far as I'm concerned, people can classify this record however they want, as long as they don't overlook its many unique qualities.

Besides just being a beautiful piece of music, this album has some great production. The beats in a couple of the tracks are really great, made of crunchy samples, with surprisingly complex programming. As for the twin sisters' vocals, they admittedly put me off at first, but I've come to appreciate them. Initially, I thought they sounded unnatural and overstylized. Gradually, I got used to them and they started to grow on me. And then I saw múm live (an EXCELLENT show, btw), and it became clear that this is the girls' natural vocal style. Now I can't imagine this record without the vocals.

Granted, I have no idea what the girls are actually saying most of the time, but that's a GOOD thing. It's mostly broken English (the band barely speaks English as far as I can tell), and whether intentional or not, it keeps the feel of the music abstract while still human and not totally distant. "I don't mind what language an opera is sung in so long as it is a language I don't understand."

It should also be noted that there is an alternate version of this album with the lyrics in Icelandic ("Loksins Erum Við Engin").

I won't try to convey the qualities of the music itself, but I'll just say that I find it beautiful, haunting, and very emotional. As I mentioned above, I find the Dntel album to be an interesting parallel. I also sense some strong resemblances to Gescom's Key Nell EP, but maybe that's just me. Overall, this is a great record that deserves your attention. Listen to it on CD, in the dark, at night or a winter morning. The vinyl probably isn't too great for listening, especially since it's 2x10" -- this is really the kind of music where you need to drift off without worrying about record-flipping. I say this is a classic, and I'm looking forward to hearing how it sounds 10 or 20 years from now. I know I'll still be listening to it.

Hailing from Iceland, Múm has created a pretty distinct and magical sound on this record. Their genre has been described by some as "indietronica," mixing traditional instrumentation (this record has pianos, accordion, horn, and others) with analog and digital synthesis. Because of this, they have often been compared to other groups like Boards of Canada, Dntal, Ulrich Schnauss, as well as fellow Icelanders Sigur Ros. The increased use of traditional instruments and arrangements distinguish this album from their more conventionally IDM first offering "Yesterday was Dramatic, Today is Ok." I think it makes it a better album though, with more emotion and moments of eerie beauty. Worth listening to.

Incidentally, two of the tracks with swimming pool were recorded for use in a multimedia installation in Iceland and were originally played on speakers submerged into a swimming pool. This explains the lack of the warm analog bass tones present in other songs and the shimmering, effervescent quality. Anybody with a pool want to see how they sound?