Sex & Food

Sex & Food / Unknown Mortal Orchestra
The fourth album from psychedelic rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra continues the psychedelic, anxiety-ridden, lo-fi sound of previous abum. All tracks feature the wavering, wheezing, muffled vocals of Ruban Nielsen. Mostly dissonant and weird, but still fun. Deals with themes of lovelessness and anxiety in the technology age. FCC 3, 8, 12. Favorites: 4, 6, 7, 8, 11

1. A God Called Hubris (0:41) - Brief musical introduction. Skipping beats. Sparse guitar picking.

2. Major League Chemicals (3:53) - Bluesy/rocky guitar and keys driven track. Muffled/distorted vocals. Catchy electric guitar riffs. Samey all the way through. Noisy, constant volume. Messy.

3. Ministry of Alienation (3:43) FCC “fuck” - Chill, slower vibe. Mellower. Understated drum kit, quiet finger picking guitar. Wheezy sounding vocals. Meandering. Sounds like spaced out-folk. Weird electronic burbles and wild sax solo near the end.

4. *Hunnybee (4:28) - catchy. Strings and guitar riffs. Funky and singable chorus. Monotone, breathy vocals. Fuzzy guitar solo near the middle/end.

5. Chronos Feasts on his Children (1:42) - Fingerpicking guitar. Psychedelic/disturbing lyrics “eating their flesh” Sparse instrumentals - guitar + vox.

6. *American Guilt (4:33) - Begins with noisy, fuzzy guitar riff. Frenetic rock anthem. Crashing drums. Propulsive, guitar driven track. Banger. Gets quiet and ambient at the end. Play this one for something energetic!

7. *The Internet of Love (4:57) - Lackadaisical guitar licks. Lurching beat. Chill, sounds like something that would be playing in a Starbucks. Overall exhausted vibe. “Only you could love me” Slightly R&Bish

8. *Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays (4:15) FCC "shit"- Weird chords. Sounds dissonant. Dancey. Light, airy vocals, lots of hi-hats. Spacey synths. Psychedelic groove. Strings come in near the end.

9. This Doomsday (3:32) - Folky finger picked guitar. Lower, robotic vocals. Ominous.

10. How Many Zeros (3:25) - Uptempo. Drum driven track. Dissonant vocals and synth keyboard. Fun!

11. *Not in Love We’re Just High (3:38) - Funky/soulful vocals. Bouncy guitar and finger snapping (?) Drum kit kicks in later. Strangely uplifting. Full noisy instrumental breakdown comes at the end.

12. If You’re Going to Break Yourself (4:38) FCC "asshole" - Quiet, subdued vocals. Neo soul vocals. “If you’re going to break yourself, you can’t break me.” Sparse, quiet guitar licks and lurching drum beat. Probably the least “dissonant” track on the album, apart from Hunnybee. Repetitive, soothing. Ends inconclusively with random guitar chords.