WOOM

Muu's Way

(BaDaBing!)

Record Review by Adam McKibbin

I was tempted to go with a four-word review for Muu’s Way:  WOOM do it right.  But allow us some more exposition and explanation, possibly with a dash of historical context.  The “it” in question is indie-pop that’s charming without being cloying, that’s quirky without being stilted, that’s smart without being too smart for its good.  As with people, it’s unfair but fun to judge bands by the company they keep, and it makes all the sense in the world that WOOM would be spending some time on the road with our old pals Xiu Xiu.  The bands don’t sound alike, and WOOM’s Sara Magenheimer and Eben Portnoy make music that is decidedly lighter and happier, but there’s a similar spirit of following an off-kilter, non-conformist vision that doesn’t seem particularly bothered with what’s burning up the blogosphere.  They’ve also logged time alongside Deerhoof – which, again, makes perfect sense.

Maybe it’s something about the all caps thing, but the skittering, left-of-pop-center rhythms of WOOM’s more up-tempo tracks (like the excellent “Quetzalcoatl’s Ship”) brought to mind echoes of YACHT, while the vocal interplay of Magenheimer and Portnoy recalled YACHT main man Jona Bechtolt back when he was still in The Blow alongside Khaela Maricich.

Muu’s Way is deceptively straightforward at the top, with a sweet, folksy sing-along (“Backwards Beach”).  That’s all well and good, but it’s the second track, “The Hunt,” that gives a better indication of the duo’s playful musical personality; the owl-inspired lyrics and “O-A-O” refrain are nicely matched to the unpredictable, whimsical instrumentation.  The natural world plays a prominent part on the album, with the ambient sounds of nature providing the backdrop to the stripped-down “Foggy Dew.”  WOOM acquit themselves nicely in these softer corners, too – the Portnoy-led “Sister” being one such stripped-down standout.