Something dramatic has happened to Ruban Nielson. In the two years and four months since the last Unknown Mortal Orchestra record, II, the frontman, multi-instrumentalist and heartbeat of this musical trio has seen the light: in this casr, a big rotating disco ball that has reflected its glittery magic dust into every corner of his work.
Multi-Love is a massive shift from the guitar- based psychedelia that characterised UMO’s first two releases. Where those records chugged along on Byrds-ean melodies and even Syd Barret-like lyricism, this third album sashays in amid vintage synthesisers, dancefloor friendly rhythms and funky bass odysseys that owe a debt to a certain purple- loving genius who resides in Paisley Park.
While there has always been a bit of the soul troubadour residing in New Zealand-born Nielson, sneaking out on tracks like II’s ‘So Good At Being In Trouble’, Multi-Love sees the singer unleashing his inner disco diva, from the squelchy beats of ‘Like Acid Rain’ to the liquid percussion and memorable melody of the title track, a paean to the titillations and tribulations of threesomes.
The mid-period Prince homage comes to the fore on the funked up shimmy and shake of ‘Ur Life One Night’, even down to the textspeak title, or the smooth pulse of ‘The World Is Crowded’.The slow jam of ‘Necessary Evil’ is seriously catchy, burrowing into your blood vessels, so that before you’ve realised it, you’re properly hooked.
‘Can’t Keep Checking My Phone’ welds busy percussion and hypnotic bass to a guitar hook that sounds like Ennio Morricone’s western soundtracks transposed to the low end: more hip-swinging than gun-slinging. Listening to the warm synths and brass of ‘Extreme Wealth And Casual Cruelty’ is like being enveloped in a bath full of teddy bears, until you manage to decipher the downright weird lyrics. The ‘60s-influenced art pop of ‘Stage Or Screen’ is all reverb, catchy chords, ‘la-la’ vocals and staccato beats.
Not so much a musical departure as an about turn, complete with a ball-quivering attempt at the splits, quite how UMO’s fanbase will take the change will be interesting to behold.
Out MAY 22
KEY TRACK: 'Necessary Evil'