Idiology

Mouse On Mars are what one could call a “difficult band”. There’s something about their delightful disregard for convention that inspires either love or shudders. Idiology may go some way to redressing the balance in favour of the ‘loves’.

The principal problem/appeal of the band is that they’re occasionally far too clever for their own good. ‘Actionist Respoke’ and ‘Subsequence’, the first two tracks, are two prime examples of such clever-clogs sampler tomfoolery – yes, gents, we know you can use your MPC or whatever it is, now make something we can hum along to.

And with the ‘difficult’ stall laid out, they then seem relieved to be able to move into far more interesting territory. The gentle kitsch and drunken orchestra of ‘Presence’ or the bawdy big band-isms of ‘Catching Butterflies With Hands’ are a joy to listen to – in a very lo-fi manner, of course.

In a way, it’s hard to see who the band are aiming at – leftfield fans for sure – but the contrasts between the light/dark is probably too great a leap for most fans of either to make. Still, perservere and ye shall be rewarded.