Wow, this is really rare. Admittedly, this is my first exposure to Menomena - in a nostalgic sort of way; I love their band name. I was drawn to Friend and Foe, the second full-length from the band, because of the superior artwork that they employ for the packaging of the record. What is inside that packaging was a total surprise, a good old indie pop album. Menomena drop a record chock full of soothing passages, vocal hooks, diverse instrumentation, and a wide variety of arrangements. Friend and Foe contains enough sound experimentation to make it worthy of the notice of any jaded music listener. Quite simply, the whole aesthetic of Menomena seems to be excellently represented with Friend and Foe. The question is then, how is the music? The throbbing bassline of "Muscle'n Flo" is awesome and creates a really strange backdrop for the monstrous sound of the drums. The vocal hook is killer. Surely, even the stiffest of the sweater and backpack-wearing crowd will shake their bottoms to it. Seriously, the bassline and vocals make this song. The cut and paste sound collage style evident in songs like "The Pelican," "Wet and Rusting," and "Weird" almost make me draw comparisons to Radiohead's Kid A and Amnesiac; obviously, this could not be a bad comparison if it were made. I do enjoy the unassuming vocal delivery (that has just the right touch of humor) on the album. It sounds very natural. "Rotten Hell" has a great vocal arrangement that even contains a round - you know, like in "Row Row Row Your Boat." It is a bit difficult to describe; it sounds similar to some seventies pop vocal (but this is a terrible description). There are little noises on Friend or Foe like a door shutting after lines like "...stepping outside" (which is in "Rotten Hell"). Menomena can throw a curve, though. "Ghost Ship" is very simple. The song is painfully pleasant and I find myself listening to it repeatedly. The fact that Menomena does not seem to have any fear of experimentation is really encouraging. Their musical arrangements are extremely interesting and unique. The multiple vocalists add a great deal of variation to the listening experience of Friend and Foe. I do not think I was bored once. I think that it is almost perfect for any ADHD sufferer or person with a short attention span. I would be really interested in seeing how the band translates into a live environment, as the music is not very organic sounding. The live aspect may add an entirely different level of complexity or simplicity to their sound. I know that I am heaping praise on the packaging, but such praise is completely deserving. The cover has several cut out sections on it that serve as "windows" for the CD face. These "windows" show the song titles and different sets of eyes for the cover art characters as you spin the CD in the tray. If you flip the CD over in the tray, it works for the back art as well. It truly is crazy. I am a bit disappointed by the lack of lyrical content, but, with Menomena's vocal style, the lyrics are not difficult to comprehend. I recommend that you, the educated independent music aficionado, seek this out now and pick it up soon. This record is guaranteed to, at the very least, make you smile. The artwork alone is worth the investment. Do not be lame and download Friend or Foe. Buy it. Menomena put a lot into its creation (even supposedly programming a computer program) and it shows.
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