72
self-released: 2003

It surprises me that Menomena isn't better known. A band very much of an upbeat and catchy tune, they could easily fit into any local radio station playlist. The vague hip-hop-esque bass and beat line mixed with the contemporary flow of the piano and vocals gives I Am the Fun Blame Monster a feel which is well suited for the current pop-rock scene while still excelling in overall quality of instrumentation.

This album contains many build-ups and drop-offs, but not quite the same sort that might be found in a crescendo-driven band, such as Godspeed You Black Emperor. The instrumentals being generally very simple, involving only a few instruments at a time, as well as a verse/chorus lyrical blocking structure, makes this an album of simplicity, as opposed to multi-layered complexity. It turns out, though, that this isn't a disadvantage for them at all.

Track-for-track, this, on the other hand, is a fairly complex album. From the heavy beat of "Cough Coughing" to the slow ambience of "Oahu" to the jazzy sax of "Twenty Cell Revolt," The Fun Blame Monster will not leave any sense of box category style which Menomena could easily be thrown into. I, myself, was not able to come up with anything to refer to them as, nor anyone else to compare to, except maybe a happy Trent Reznor, if that's even possible to imagine. This, to me, though, gives this album a great amount of feeling, to a point almost comparable to Mogwai. The flow from "Oahu" into "Trigga Hiccups" is definitely an abrupt change, like going from horrible depression to being completely oblivious to any pain at all... okay, so that might be an extreme, but even still, what a concept.

I Am the Fun Blame Monster may not be quite my style, but where it lacks in intricate layering it certainly makes up for in quality catchiness, none of which wears off after all is said and done, unlike a lot of normal pop tunes. Furthermore, in terms of overall quality this is a very excellent album. If you like music of the more joyous and cheerful sort, definitely check out this album. And won't you be cool when you show off to all your friends your interest in a truly independent band as well as the flip-book style album booklet the CD comes in. You'll be the talk of the town, assuming you live in a really small town.