'Eclectic' is a word that's greatly overused, but it's definitely appropriate where Malachai's second album, 'Return to the Ugly Side' is concerned.
Following up last year's 'Ugly Side of Love,' 'Return to the Ugly side throws everything into the mix, kitchen sink and all. It should be an awful, unlistenable, horrible mess. By some miracle or feat of genius, it's not. In fact, it's rather wonderful. Few bands I can think of, other than Foetus, The Cooper Temple Clause and Mansun (on 'Six', at least) have successfully amalgamated so many different, seemingly incompatible elements to such effect.
Opener 'Monsters' mashes several songs into one, somehow managing to meld trip-hop, experimental electronica and sweeping orchestral sounds seamlessly. It sets the tone - and the bar - for the album as a whole. It's a wild and flavoursome sonic stew alright, from the dreamy, trippy psychedelia of 'Rainbows' to the trip-hoppy soul (with the added punch of a seriously phat bass) of 'Let 'Em Fall'. 'Mid Antarctica (Wearin' Sandals)' sounds like a bond theme as written and performed by Foetus, while 'No More Rain No Maureen' is a curiously compelling example of minimalist smoochy, dubby soul. There's stoned 60s pop, baggy beats and nasty snarling basslines, all woven together with a strong rhythmic element.
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There's an emotional pang to be felt amongst all the psychedelic weirdness and way-out sonic patchworking, notably on 'Monster' and 'The Don't Just': Gee has a rich vocal tone and knows just how to deliver a lyric. All in all, there's a lot to take in on this album, but that more than ensures that it holds up to repeat listens, as each spin reveals new layers of nuance and strangeness.
Malachai on MySpace
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