Music Meal: Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II

Portland based/Kiwi fronted Unknown Mortal Orchestra's second LP 'II' is amongst us. After the near universal acclaim for their self-titled debut, UMO have kept their lo-fi sound but added something, possibly a sense of maturity not present in their first outing.

The album starts with the melodic From The Sun - almost a downbeat Jack White mixed with 60's surf music. Oddly enough it made me think of Austin Powers, but without the kitsch (that's not a bad thing either!).

Following that is the warmth and comfort of lead single Swim And Sleep (Like A Shark). If you know The Muttonbirds you should find a familial accessibility here that is also repeated somewhat in The Opposite Of Afternoon.

One of my favourite tracks is No Need For A Leader with it's beautifully crafted lo-fi pyschedelic sound surrounds you while you listen.

You don't even have to like UMO or their brand of music to appreciate that it's a brilliant piece of work. That said, there's no shame in closing your eyes and letting the mermaids beckon as you fall under a UMO trance.

Buy II - Unknown Mortal Orchestra from iTunes