Cobra Juicy
Pittsburgh, PA
(Rad Cult)
“Vocoded indie rock with psychedelic flair”
It’s coming up on a decade of solid music-making for experimental band Black Moth Super Rainbow and their new 11-track album is bursting with the deliberation and breadth. Bouncing between psychedelic lounge music from the future and perky electro-pop tunes, their vocoder-heavy album features undulating notes, highly-affected vocals and lyrics that are, for the most part, blended fully into the mix and difficult to decipher (but that’s OK).
The album opens with a mid-paced tune featuring a crunchy guitar and brassy but soft robotic vocals that range in severity and intensity throughout the entire album. In some songs, the effect has a lullaby-like effect, like on the droning, dreamy “Psychic Love Damage.” Other times, the multi-tonal vocals seem darker and heavier like on the chorus for the laser-laced track “Hairspray Heart.”
Admittedly, as the album plays on, the songs do begin to blend with one another, making a few tracks sound like one long outtake, but there are striking moments on the album including the dancey “Gangs In the Garden,” complete with ticking 808, metallic vocals and endless layers of gauzy, wavy synths.
Recommended for fans of cohesive Animal Collective and Flaming Lips tracks, a range of Daft Punk-level robotic vocals and repetitive, yet likeable, synth loops.