Grounded Kiwis
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - V [JAG422 VMP USA 2023 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Displaced ....or is that 'grounded' Kiwi Ruban Nielson, moved from the musical hotbed of Portland OR to Palm Springs CA just prior to lockdown, where he found himself over-exposed to American soft-rock & West Coast AOR. This is Nielson's fifth album in his alter-ego Unknown Mortal Orchestra, recorded with brother Kodi and Jacob Portrait (from Blouse)...and it could well be one of the best albums of 2023. The four previous UMO albums manipulated indie-rock, pop, garage and modern psyche ...now add touches of sun-baked classic AOR, cloudless blue skies & palm trees ...and you get V . Well, I guess if Supertramp can relocate their sound, so can Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The compressed drums, treated vocals and remnants of tape hiss (plus a noisy IRP pressing) give this double record a low-fi rating, but maybe that only adds to the charm. The melodies are all spot on, some of the guitar work is e...