Well, that’s a jolly title, the sort of thing that arch-funster Morrissey might have come up with if he were starting out today. Actually, that’s a bit of a cheap shot, sorry, because there is a lot more that is fresh and interesting found on Forced Fun For The Just OK Life than the glum-pop that is his current sonic vehicle ever could compete with. I’ll start again.
Mighty Jupiter & The Mooncake Band create an interesting sound, well, many interesting sounds, but whichever avenue they pursue – baroque pop, alt-rock, shoegaze, punchy punk, scuzzy blues, indietronica, dream pop – it is clear that they are more driven by emotional honesty than poise and polish, and as such, their songs are wonderfully raw, hazy, and heartfelt.
“The Lake” is the sound of indie music journeying through the realms of shoegaze, a wall of abrasive noise shot through with shards of chiming sonics and psychedelic coils of guitar. The vocals are pushed down into the music, as much voice-as-instrument as direct and clear communication, something that runs throughout the album. But even if you can’t always make out the words, the emotive charge is palpable.
“The Eeriest Summer” is, given the title, suitably dark and delirious, a clash of haunted fairground music and possessed pop; “Walk The Walk” throbs and strides along to metronomic beats, and “Fireworks” is atmospheric and anthemic, almost operatic and indeed extraordinary; both in terms of its uniqueness and its self appointed musical standards and sonic benchmarks. And then “Super Me” comes along like a heavy take on B52’s! Confused? Good!
This is not an album to put a label on. But then again, neither are the songs that easy to describe in generic terms, either because they seem to be an amalgam of many sounds and styles or completely swerve the normal realms altogether, preferring the sonic fringes and liminal paths through the musical borderlands.
And, if my clumsy attempts to describe this beguiling album prove inadequate, then you should just go and listen to it. That sounds like a bit of a cop-out, given that it is my job to describe, examine, explain, and sell the album, but sometimes you reach the limitations of what words can do. That is true of all great music. It is doubly true here.
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