Moms
The fifth album from the Portland, Ore.–based Menomena sees the former trio reduced to a duo, as Brent Knopf has left to pursue other endeavors. *Moms* feels just as full with Justin Harris and Danny Seim as the sole members, and due to its conceptual essence, it\'s broadly textured and deeply satisfying. Menomena has always produced an intriguing musical weave, flexing an uncanny ability to sound organic and easy, perhaps patchouli-scented, while also producing a good deal of drama and occasional noise and grit. *Moms* is clearly a concept album, with Harris and Seim conjuring vivid scenes rooted in family strife, relationships, and love lost. The album\'s true theme pulses with lyrical gut-punches like \"When I grew up, you grew lonely/And that can\'t be what you need,\" as Harris muses about life with a single mom. Seim lost his mother at a young age, a factor in some of his own gut-punches like \"I wish I could remember if my last words were sincere.\" Whether every lyric is truly biographical, the emotional heft here gives *Moms* inarguable depth, and the production is just as stellar.
After 2010's Mines, Brent Knopf left the band and Danny Seim and Justin Harris continued as a duo. Their first record as a twosome, Moms is without doubt the most aggressive record Menomena have ever made.
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A personal journey, a chronicle of wanderlust for the perpetually bed-bound, Moms' private tales betray a vulnerability to be cherished.
Menomena’s albums have always been patchworks of sorts, the three members sending musical ideas to one another through…
Carrying on after the departure of Brent Knopf, who left the band to focus on his solo project Ramona Falls, Menomena return as a duo on their fifth album, Moms.
Menomena's fifth album follows the departure of co-founder Brent Knopf from the Portland outfit; commendable, then, that remaining members Justin Harris and Danny Seim have succeeded in retaining the familiar cut-and--paste charm found on past releases so effectively. Plumage is distinct from the get-go, containing all the vital ingredients of minimalist synths and bass, accompanied by solitary guitar stabs and twinkly piano notes.
Holy vitriol, Batman! Menomena's fifth full-length Moms doesn't hold back on the bile, the band aiming their acid tongues at unsatisfying lovers and the family tree.
In a perfect world, the shoegaze-esque “Capsule,” with its endlessly catchy, fuzzy guitar riff, would be a radio hit.
Portland art rockers Menomena mix darkess with euphoria on another rich and adventurous album, writes <strong>Dave Simpson</strong>