After releasing his breakthrough album We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves last year, Minnesota musician (and Ariel Pink’s friend) John Maus has chosen to follow up with a timely collection of 16 unreleased tracks from 1999 to 2010.
The perfunctory titled compilation does a great job of tracing the development of Maus’ unique sound while being an enjoyably cohesive listen in the process.
For anyone who’s heard any of his material over the years, you’ll have a fair idea of what to expect – a strong mix between avant-garde 80s electropop and post punk. All proudly lo-fi.
With heavily reverbed and delayed vocals, soft synths and with most songs clocking in under three minutes – the album tends to lean more on the ambient side of his 80s-inspired pop spectrum.
Which isn’t to say there isn’t plenty of pop to love here – the deliciously moody “Mental Breakdown”, the richly melodic “Bennington”, the new wave “No Title” and the blockbluster closer “I Don’t Eat Human Beings” are all gems that demand repeat listening.
The short length of the remaining songs means the album has a charmingly disjointed feel – perhaps intentional given the album is an anthology. The fact that it still manages to be a consistent whole is a testament to Maus’s magnetism as a frontman.
It’s pretty clear through interviews, and his own introspective music, that Maus isn’t overly concerned with reaching a wide audience. But for those who have followed his career closely – or people looking to start – this collection is a great entry point.
– Wyatt Lawton-Masi
