Múm
Sing Along To Songs You Don’t Know

THE REVIEW

"Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know" marks the beginning of a new career for Icelanders Mùm. A new philosophy for this fascinating collective that started fully electronic and has now arrived to let us listen to folktronica music hand in hand with indie-pop, choirs, and orchestral harmonies.

According to several interviews, the album seems to have been written as a response to the economic crisis that upset Icelandic peace. But beware, it's not a rebellion, rather a sort of reflection on the positive aspects that can be drawn from the anxiety our society creates.

Let's get back to talking about actual music. We said that Our artists have changed style, but don't misunderstand, the glitch sounds and various crackles are still there, but in a much more intimate, more shy form. What is new is the use of a multitude of acoustic instruments among which piano, marimba, ukulele, strings. Instruments brought by the artists called to weave the album's path.

The album showcases continual stylistic changes, indeed ranging from sweet country-folk-minimalistic ballads like the opening "If I Were A Fish" to the playful and childlike "Sing Along"; also ventures into fast folk pop tracks like "Prophecies & Reversed Memories" (very Belle and Sebastian), or even almost songwriter-like performances like "A River Don't Stop To Breathe". Still playful sounds occur in "The Smell Of Today Is Sweet Like B Eastmilk", anchored to stretches of moog and violin; very similar in terms of composition is "Hullaballabal£", as well as "kay-rai-ku-ku-ko-kex" (the latter very Stereolab). There's also room for melodies similar to those of the latest Sigur Ròs, just listen to "Show Me". The mind often recalls Sufjan Stevens ("Blow Your Nose"). Invented too are ambient-pop acoustic tracks, as happens in "Last Shapes Of Never" or the modern-classical "Ladies Of The New Century"; with more chorality in the final "Illuminated", which is somewhat reminiscent of Grizzly Bear.

With "Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know", Mùm show they are never short on ideas. Ideas that do nothing but give the band a new image. There will certainly be long-time supporters who won't appreciate it, but there will also be new followers. Like me.