‘Eating Us’ marks the first recording studio venture proper from Memphis Industries’ own Pennsylvanian cult outfit BMSR (who rose to prominence in 2007 via support slots with most notably THE FLAMING LIPS amongst others). However, fans of the lo-fi synth outfit will be pleased to note that it’s still business as usual as far as their cryptic/surreal output is concerned.
Jet-engine take-off synth sounds hurtle opening track ‘Born On A Day The Sun Didn’t Rise’ into positive overdrive, thus setting the tone for what proves to be pure and constant sonic assault across this twelve-strong collection.
The bouncing melody of ‘Twin Of Myself’ is undeniably appealing, perhaps the record’s first ‘pop’ moment. With a chime here and a sub-pop scratch there, the vocoder-drenched vocals work blissfully beneath the mix, only to distort and dissolve with considerable force.
Downtempo offerings like the acoustic-guitar driven ‘Gold Splatter’ and ‘Fields Are Breathing’ are reminiscent of classic WEEN albums ‘The Pod’ and ‘Pure Guava’: surreal soundscapes thickened with a frisson of country twang, organic in spite of the sampled layers.
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With the mood darkening along with the deepening of the chimes, ‘Iron Lemonade’ unleashes fractured melodies off the back of a haunted loop.
However, the record’s true highlights occur when BMSR surrender to the melodic. ‘Smile The Day After Today’ is near-perfect and immensely beautiful, whilst robust kids TV anti-theme ‘The Sticky’ triumphs thanks to some fast-intensifying and subliminally messy percussion.
Finally, the dreamscape spun out of a banjo-happy half-step in‘American Face-Dust’ offers yet another dimension to BMSR’s oddball versatility.
Machine-driven ambience is successfully combined with more conventional elements to ensure that the music emerges triumphant.
‘Eating Us’ is futuristic, incidental and yet oddly reminiscent – proof positive that pop WILL eat itself!
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