★★★★★
The appeal of Unknown Mortal Orchestra--essentially the project of singer/songwriter Ruban Nielson--is largely his expertise as a chemist; on the LP II earlier this year he showed off his ability to use a range of sounds, styles, and influences as elements to cook up a very decent album. For the opening songs on this new EP, though, he takes three neat psychedelic pop tracks from II, plus one from Dirty Projectors ("Swing Lo Magellan") and Beck's superb "Puttin' It Down," and strips them back...
- www.undertheradarmag.com
2013-11-13
★★★★★
Unknown Mortal Orchestra offers no new material on their Blue Record EP, but rather three reworkings of highlight tracks from their recent LP, II, and two covers of songs by rock artists that dabble in similarly psychedelic waters. All five recordings were done straight to tape in frontman Ruban Nielson's basement using nothing more than one acoustic guitar, one microphone, and two voices...
- consequenceofsound.net
2013-11-02
★★★★★
Less than a year after the release of II, Ruban Nielson brings us Blue Record, an acoustic EP featuring tracks from the band's last record and covers of Beck and Dirty Projectors.
Nielson's conversion of the originals is seamless, his loose finger style guitar work filling in much of the sonic landscape. Of the UMO numbers, 'Sleep and Swim (Like a Shark)' and 'So Good At Being In Trouble' feel very much like the original tracks, toned down a notch and more intimate...
- www.undertheradar.co.nz
2013-11-01
★★★★★
Unknown Mortal Orchestra Blue RecordBy Jazz MonroeIt's likely that close listeners of II, a home blend of blue funk and psychedelia, had already diagnosed Ruban Nielson's psychological ills. Eight months on, Unknown Mortal Orchestra return with Blue Record, a chilled acoustic EP that grooves down and quietly electrifies...
- exclaim.ca
2013-10-30
★★★★★
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
'Blue Record' (Jagjaguwar)
4
By Ben Homewood
22 Oct 2013
Ruban Nielson's soul is ragged...
- mamacolive.com
2013-10-30
★★★★★
The acoustic record: not the most exciting of prospects. Often used as an opportunity for the band to prove they can be all serious, a chance for 'the songs to speak for themselves', to show they can do something a bit different, even if that means just unplugging a guitar and turning it all down a notch...
- drownedinsound.com
2013-10-23
★★★★★
Don't miss out. Follow us on Twitter for new music. Don't forget: use the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard to move between posts quickly and easily. words by DENISE LU
In the summer of 2011, few things were as satisfying as the gritty opening drum kicks to "Ffunny Ffrends" by the then mysterious Unknown Mortal Orchestra...
- prettymuchamazing.com
2013-04-01
★★★★★
The party line for Unknown Mortal Orchestra is that Ruban Nielson started the bedroom project-turned-indie rock band as a one-off project to occupy his time while forgoing music for a regular job. After listening to II, Nielson's excellent second album under the UMO moniker, you'd have to forgive me for not believing that little piece of PR magic...
- www.popmatters.com
2013-04-01
★★★★★
Was Ruban Neilson this fucked up on Unknown Mortal Orchestra's debut? Were we just not paying attention?
On II, whose opening tune outlines with roundabout gawkiness a desire to blast one's brain from its mortal stirrups, the cat is out the bag: "I'm so lonely but I can never quite reach the phone," Neilson mourns on 'From the Sun', "I've gotta eat my popcorn all alone... Isolation can put a gun in your hand...
- drownedinsound.com
2013-04-01
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