The Mobius Band
One EP
(The Mobius Band)
Although they've played shows with such a wide variety of artists as Maceo Parker, Will Oldham, and Yo La Tengo, I'd honestly never heard of them before. The trio formed about four years ago in the Northeast and have been touring and releasing their own work in that time. Although the easiest definition of their sound would be to simply call them 'electronic rock,' they pull from so many different styles on this 6 song EP that the definition above wouldn't do them justice if applied.
I always get a little excited when I recieve a release like The Mobius Band. Not only is it totally DIY (the CDs all come packaged in hand-glued, hand-printed sleeves and the CDs are probably burned fresh with every order), but you can tell that the group just wants to get their music out there (the fact that the CDs are priced very reasonably is one sign). Of course, I also have to admit that one of the things that excites me about popping an effort like this in my player is wondering just what it's going to sound like. I've heard a lot of home-produced records and tapes, and listening to things the first time is part of the excitement, wondering whether it's going to suck or surprise. The Mobius Band fortunately does the latter, as their production is flawless and there is some genuinely excellent music on the release.
Despite the title, the opening track of "Book Of Love" is probably the most rippin track. It barrels out of the gate with live drumming and frenetic bass coupled with samples and twinkling keyboards. The group changes up styles almost immediately with "3 or 4 seasons," a sing-along catchy country-tinged track with a drum machine beat that doesn't come out sounding the slightest bit cheesy. From there, they drop three downtempo instrumental numbers (including the positively spacey "Butter Palace") before closing out the release with the most standard-sounding track on the album "July 3rd, 1995."
Overall, One is a pretty good release from the band and they show a lot of potential. After the bursting opener, the album never quite regains the same fire, but they show they can work a mid and downtempo chillout groove just as well. I'll be curious to hear a full-length from them, as well as see how they refine their sound.
Rating: 6.75
