Start a People

Black Moth Super Rainbow

The 70s Gymnastics Recording Co.

Start a People

Black Moth Super Rainbow

The 70s Gymnastics Recording Co.

Recommended if you like: Quirky/experimental pop, a la Len or Beck

Some reviews have made Black Moth Super Rainbow’s Start a People sound like the equivalent of a child’s hand-made greeting card. There’s much truth to it; the record feels quite equal to a child finger painting, albeit on acid.

The beats on the record have a very hip-hop, jazzy groove to them, which makes for a unique listen. It might grow to be a bit too much for some, but the vocoders [a digital keyboard effect which “computerizes” the human voice] and other unique noises strewn about the album make it a novel experience.

Imagine if the pop sound of Canadian outfit Len and the tongue-in-cheek work of America’s own Beck were somehow put together. With Start a People, you’ve got a version of Midnite Vulture’s “Sexx Laws” combined with You Can’t Stop the Bum Rush’s “Steal my Sunshine.”

At times, BMSR even seems to draw on music from older television programming, such as Reading Rainbow. Don’t believe it? Put on “Early 70s Gymnastics” and be awestruck.

And why is it cool? The foundations of music and indie are simply torn to shreds for simplicity and prettiness, for lack of better words. The band decided to throw out all the pretentiousness that sometimes comes with indie/experimental music, along with the harsh criticisms any normal listener would give, and just settle for something that makes the band happy. And that’s a really brave effort for an artist.

Black Moth is comprised of anywhere from three to six members at a time. These people are very much into reflecting childhood memories in music, as their description says. The melodies on the disc have a psychedelic tinge to them, and with the aforementioned vocoder, it translates into a very quirky pop record.

Mediocre would be an understatement; the band is above average, but not so much as to be the next big thing. The album is silly, but refreshing. And that’s what makes BMSR so damn interesting. They decided that having fun is the best part of music, and it truly is.

This record may not be the best reflection of your childhood, but it surely is great if you’re in the mood for something fun.

Kudos to the band, and let’s hope they continue to explore their unique childhood memories and ideas in future records.