About U

Formed around the vocals of Katie Gavin and the guitars and backing vocals of Naomi McPherson and Josette Maskin, the Los Angeles-based pop trio MUNA's first album About U is a homegrown affair that's at odds with the production-line style most modern pop employs. The songs are written by the trio only, the album is self-produced (with help from Dan Grech-Marguerat, who has worked with Dragonette and Lana Del Rey), and there are minimal intrusions by studio pros. It makes for a very focused sound, with McPherson and Maskin's echoing guitars featured on most songs and Gavin's strong vocals and dramatic, sometimes sexually explicit lyrics front and center. The trio's sound is influenced by slick '80s pop and synth-heavy new wave, and the album is split evenly between heartbreak beats ("Crying on the Bathroom Floor,) moody, danceable jams ("Around U"), and darkly emotional ballads ("Everything"), with the occasional straightforward pop song mixed in. Any or all the tracks would fit in nicely next to the work of their contemporaries like Shura, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Tegan and Sara. Maybe a little too well at times, and as a result, About U won't win any prizes for originality. Despite the pains they took to create the album themselves, MUNA don't quite manage to separate themselves from the pack of artists with a very similar sound. It is a promising debut, though, with a pleasingly direct lyrical approach, very assured vocals, and enough songs with sharp enough hooks ("Loudspeaker"), emotional punches ("Winterbreak"), or both ("End of Desire") to make it worth the effort to check the record out. ~ Tim Sendra

ティエストによる"Winterbreak"のリミックスでも脚光を浴びたLA発の女性3人組がアルバム・デビュー。リード・シンガーのケイティ・ギャヴィンを筆頭に、ツッパリ系のいかついお姐さんといったイメージもあるけれど、曲調はメロウでドリーミー。レディ・ガガが『Art Pop』で展開したジョルジオ・モロダー路線の80s風ディスコ・ポップを基調にしつつ、ギター・ロックやシンセ・バラードへと羽を広げる。大仰でドラマティックなサウンドなのに、みずから〈ダーク・ポップ〉と称する通りどこか繊細で屈折した影も見え隠れするのは、性的マイノリティーという立場の苦悩やメッセージが託されているせいかもしれない。本来ならもっとエキセントリックにギターを掻き鳴らしていても良さそうな3人娘が、意外な方向から攻め入って個性を発揮。LGBTコミュニュティーの結束力や反骨精神も感じ取れる楽曲は、さしずめ〈ハイムの裏ヴァージョン〉とでも呼びたい乙女スピリットに彩られている。
bounce (C)村上ひさし