Review Summary: Following the disco dance revival trend, the duo's debut is a solid release.
Electric Guest is a Los Angeles based band that gained media attention upon releasing their debut album, Mondo, produced by Brian Burton, in early 2012. The band consists of Asa Taccone (vocals) and Matthew Compton (drums). During tour the duo is assisted by the Dahlhoff brothers (bass and guitar). While not the best band out there, their pop sound is extremely well-crafted. Asa's eccentric vocals suit his artistic take on the work, revealed in his performances on stage as well as in the band's music videos. Asa himself comes from a family engaged in the arts - his brother is a director and his sister is involved in the visual arts -, which maybe explains his mentioned peculiarity when it comes to performing. That, however, is no cons, since it seems that without some oddity pop music would simply not work - which is true in the case of Electric Guest. Danger Mouse's influence in the duo's debut is notable. Not only is it outright obvious, but also well welcomed. Fans of the producer will notice that Asa's falsetto-leaning vocals fit the sonic-driven melodies quite well, as evidenced in many tracks.
Mondo opens with Holes, a track that relies heavily on synthesizers. The song can be troublesome to the ear, as the drum beat sides with the confusing ups and downs of the synths, but eventually it marries with softer melodies. This Head I Hold is fresh air, with constant clapping and Asa's falsettos playing a major role. It's a hurrying tune and an adequate one for the lyrics - here the vocalist sings about being under pressure and how to conciliate expectations and personal desires. Perhaps the song is talking about the singer's own personal problems which surfaced once the band gained media attention and began touring. Taccone has said more than once that he is often anxious about fame and the life one has to lead in the music industry, and it shows in his music: Under The Gun tells the story of people reaching out for the high road, and the delusions of that task. Musically the song is reassuring, with impressive keyboard work - here it falls smoothly in an otherwise upbeat track -, and ranging vocals throughout.
Mondo is, fair enough, an effort that shines on top of the rising wave of disco dance revival. That becomes more apparent as the album progresses, and it is majorly addressed in tracks like Awake. Here the lyrics are much more polished and everything - from the boring clapping and tapping to Asa's voice being apparently drowned to the track's thick arrangement of instruments (which as the song progresses may seem to clog its atmosphere) - references the looming influence of Danger Mouse. That influence is then carried through the rest of the entire album, and in songs like Amber and The Bait, the groovy sound of the 70's and 80's is a major evidence of the duo's expertise in creating catchy, pop tunes that excel in making the listener's feet unstoppable. In Waves, the vocals are rapid, the tune builds on quirky drum beats and guitar strumming, the synths are a little funky, and the lyrics resonate with what is a recurring theme in pop music - falling in love. Far from being melodramatic Asa accomplishes what most people don't: he talks about moving on and its difficulties, meanwhile putting a smile on your face.
The next song, Troubleman, is without doubt the greatest song in the duo's debut. The most amazing thing about Taccone is that he has an incredible vocal range, and it shows throughout the album. However, in Troubleman he exhibits that trait most effectively - occasionally he camouflages his voice in order to attain smoother notes, but it's never a letdown. He never rises to high, but he varies in tonality and it's absolutely pleasing to the ear. Worth of note, the keyboardist to record this song must have been truly inspired. Particularly the piece right before the song enters what I call its "second act" (you have to listen to it to understand), the guy playing the electric guitar performs an amazing solo based on the main melody of the track. It is also comforting that there is an acoustic guitar in this one, for it sets an entire different mood, coherent with the lyrical content of the track. If anything, this song can be boring given how long it is. But personally I find those eight minutes a transcendental experience - which is true when you consider Mondo. Go listen to the track.
The last two songs of the album could easily have come from one of those jukeboxes from the 80's. American Daydream is distorted with auto-tune as the singer discontentedly sings about discontent. Odd way to define it, sure, but what's not odd about the song? In any case, oddity ends, and this track parallels the closer, Control, where Asa sings, rather satisfied, about looking for satisfaction. These songs are so short that a distracted listener will be caught unawares, which makes the feelings and moods of these last two resonate with the listener's expectations. It is a well-done trick.
All in all, Mondo is a pleasing musical experience, although it's not the best album in terms of indie pop music, for sure. For an indie band, Electric Guest lacks aggressiveness: the drums are too quiet, never really getting the spotlight. Furthermore the constant clapping, which strangely enough can be found in about 90% of the tracks, is just boring when it is not needed. But those are not really fair complaints. Pop music doesn't need to be aggressive (although it could serve of some louder beats, but I digress), and the clapping could be said to be characteristic. The album is an excellent one, though, with Taccone's vocal talent shining through the disco poisoned haze that is the atmosphere of most of the tracks. Let's just hope the next release is just as solid as this one.
P.s.: Mondo, in Italian, means world, but googling the word, I found "mondo" apparently is used in English as a slang, a synonym to adjectives such as "very", "much", etc. Well, just make of that what you will.
