Review by Todd E. Jones aka The New Jeru Poet
(.Feb  2005)

9 out of 10

     Jean-Paul Sartre once wrote, “Each word is a path of transcendence; it shapes our feelings, names them, and attributes them to an imaginary personage who takes it upon himself to live them of us and who has no other substance than these borrowed passions; he confers objects, perspectives, and a horizon upon them.”*  Through his lyrics and inimitable music, Momus utilizes marvelous and captivating words, images, styles, and themes to introduce an exciting world to his listeners. Momus (the imaginary alter-ego of the very real Scot named Nick Currie) redefines intelligence in the music industry and satisfies his devoted fans. As a devoted fan myself, I eagerly await every new Momus album with curiosity and wonder because I know that I will be surprised and delighted with every song. For 2005, Momus returns with “Otto Spooky” on his own Analog Baroque / American Patchwork label. Like his previous solo album “Oscar Tennis Champion”, John Fashion Flesh of Super Madrigal Brothers played a role in the sound. This time, instead of re-producing the songs, Flesh added little reproductions between each track. Momus has evolved into an intellectual musician who consistently keeps listeners’ minds active with his astute perversions, unfamiliar references, and bizarre themes. “Otto Spooky” has songs about misogynist kings, Robin Hood, cockle pickers, Jesus, and video games. Many fans were caught off guard by his last release “Summerisle”, collaboration with Anne Laplantine. A concoction that was anything but expected or accessible, “Summerisle” did not include a fundamental pop song structure. “Otto Spooky” displays Momus regaining his songwriting genius. Like “Oskar Tennis Champion”, the songs grow on the listener in time. They do not instantly hit the fan like previous tracks, “I Want You But I Don’t Need You”, “Hairstyle Of The Devil”, “Smooth Folk Singer”, or “Closer To You”. “Otto Spooky” may take a couple of listens or a visit to his website to discover and understand what Currie is singing about. As another addition to the Momus catalogue, “Otto Spooky” is an enjoyable collection of weird tales, unique characters, and unusual references.

    “Otto Spooky” does have a handful of instantly gratifying songs that grow even more meaningful with repeated listens. “Life Of The Fields” is a beautiful song filled with wonderful and detailed imagery. Momus sings, "...Gaelic runes and harvest moons / Shinto dogs at the phallic symbol / Mustard seed and dandelion / A time to live, a time to die / Meet me in the waving summer / The question mark in the scarecrow's eye / Making out by the rhodedendron / Pull me down, and pump me dry / Lie back now and think of sorrow / The question mark in the scarecrow's eye / Mustard seed and dandelion / A time to live, a time to die..." Currie takes the listener on a journey to a past, fictional world. “Jesus In Furs” is a psychedelic and mysterious song about how society is actually getting bored of pain and torture for entertainment. Currie sings, “…Jesus in furs / Sacrifice as entertainment / All these martyrs /And all these matinees…” Written during the time when “The Passion Of The Christ” was being forced on everyone, the satirical song displays the appropriation of S&M by the establishment.

    Since the 90’s, Momus has used his sharp wit to tell stories. He uses unique characters in many of his songs. “Corkscrew King” is a tale of an impotent and misogynist king. Currie sings, "...Dr Mojo who can turn back time /  Send in more Viagra to halt the decline / When you're 69 the sky is overcast / The castle flag is flying... half mast / The gate is shut, the canon blocked / The flower they fire at one o'clock half-cocked / The tower flops, the blossom drops / The king will play the shamisen..." The clever humor, along with the astute imagery, sonically plays a film in the listener’s mind. “Robin Hood” is another humorous and tragic tale, which uses electronic folk music reminiscent of “Folktronic”. In “Robin Hood”, our hero meets his nemesis and ends up breathing through a rubber tube and depending on a colostomy bag. Another witty track, “Your Fat Friend” does not share the same intelligent execution as the others because the humor of weight does not feel as astute as the other topics on the LP. Another playful song is “Belvedere”, a children’s song from a parallel world. Currie sings, “Children of the New Republic all revere / Belvedere the children's pioneer.” The childlike quality of the song is reminiscent of “Hippopotamomus” period. “Lute Score” is an odd track about a bizarre video game. “Mr. Ulysses” begins very quietly with hushed and muffled vocals. The light sound of the acoustic guitar is overcome by weird bubbling sound effects and other mysterious tones. Although a steady rhythm is maintained, the electronic sounds and vocal effects create a cacophonic soundscape. The vocal melody is somewhat similar to “It’s important To Be Trendy” from “The Philosophy Of Momus” LP. Confident and intelligent, “Mr. Ulysses” is an exceptionally interesting and literate song.

    A son of a linguist, Momus plays with language, expressing himself in different tongues. At first, “Klaxon” sounds Middle-Eastern with the Indian melody, but Currie sings the standout track in French. The melody and hook, although in a foreign language, are extremely catchy and memorable. “The Water Song” is sung in Orominya, one of the languages of Ethiopia. While sonically trippy, “The Water Song” is not as strong as “Klaxon”.

    Every Momus album has a handful of songs where Momus ventures into bizarre territory. On the “Hippopotamomus” LP, he sung about cannibalism on “I Ate A Girl Right Up”. On “The Little Red Songbook” LP, oral sex was pondered in “Coming In A Girl’s Mouth”. The envelope pushing songs on “Otto Spooky” are very strange and yet not centered in sex. “Bantam Boys” is sung in a falsetto opera-like voice and backed with an electronic folk melody. With lyrics about eunuchs and harlequins, Momus has confessed that he does not know what the song is about. Like some of our most beloved poets, Momus plays with language for language’s sake. The lesson or answer is an ongoing process for both the artist and the listener. “Cockle Pickers” is an unusual and tragic story about migrating farm workers. The opening and closing tracks both have a severe psychedelic sound, reminiscent of the re-produced effects of the “Oscar Tennis Champion” LP. Currie’s vocals are hard to understand at first, but the melodies and lyrics are worth attentive listening.

    Momus is one of the few musicians who has continued to evolve over time. Most musicians become consumed by the business and lose all autonomy and independence of character. Through his music, his life and mind grows. In his references, we are privy to the books he reads, the movies he watches, the places he visits, the people he meets, and the thoughts he forms. He is not afraid to change and trusts his fans to understand or attempt to understand his art.

    “Otto Spooky” is another bewildering addition to a unique, long, and strange Momus discography. Currie’s musical styles change with every single album. From his acoustic debut “Circus Maximus”, he evolved into genres such as disco (“Don’t Stop The Night”), techno (“Voyager”), cabaret (“The Ultraconformist”), and electronic pop. He eventually began to create his own styles such as analog baroque (“The Little Red Songbook” and electronic folk (“Folktronic”). Mixing ethnic folk music with electronic music is both innovative and admirable. His humor and constant injection of bizarre references give the songs a longer shelf life. Any Momus fan can pick up any Momus album at any time and find something new. “Otto Spooky” is no exception. As a team, Currie and Fashion Flesh complement each other very well. Their love for electronic melodies and unusual sounds give new life to the Momus sound. Flesh’s little interludes link each song together making the album flow with a ghostly grace. Instead of the LP being just a collection of songs, “Otto Spooky” is a true album with the help of these peculiar interludes. While Momus will continue to venture into bizarre territory, his fans will continue to love his innovation and ability to produce surprising and entertaining albums. “Otto Spooky” is a brilliant and bizarre album filled with eerie textures, wild subjects, and bewildering styles. Otto may be “spooky” but he is a character every Momus fan should meet.

9 out of 10
Review by Todd E. Jones
toddejones@yahoo.com