WK5 - Millionyoung - Replicants (5)

Released - 1/1/11

Label - Rix Records / Old Flame Records

BLURB - I had completely forgot about Millionyoung since I last saw them play during CMJ last October. I remember the singer mentioning that they were recording some new stuff, but that information got lost somewhere in the dark caverns of my brain. For those they don't know Millionyoung, they are one of the more established DIY lo-fi electronica groups of the past year or so. Clearly, this is right in my wheelhouse of musical tastes, and their performance during CMJ was amazing. The problem though, is "Replicants" seems to be a bit of a misstep. The vocals seem 'off' on the entire album, and much of the tracks sound like throw away filler material. Granted, for the most part, the music is unbelievable. It's varied, creative and atmospheric while not straying away from the natural dance-ability of Millionyoung's sound. But the vocals and lyrics absolutely sandbag this album. I'm giving this album a 5, but I can't help but think that number would be 2-3 points higher if there were no vocals at all.

Rating - 5 out of 10

FULL STORY - In all fairness, I'm a big fan of Millionyoung. I got tickets for their Mercury Lounge show next week the day they were released. Whenever they play in my area, I'm more than likely going to their show. They're fun, have good energy and are very tight. The best part of their act, is that they really are a true band (ala the route Toro y Moi is moving in). I don't know what it is, but having a band up there with you is 1,000x more interesting than just someone with a laptop.

"Replicants" begins with a modest introduction ('Obelisk') that flows right into 'Cosmonaut.' While it does take some time, 'Cosmonaut' definitely finds some spacey grooves. The track is moderately slow, but it feels like the right tempo. It's laid back, relaxing and very breezy. As for the vocals, they are few and far between, and are basically used with delay to create more space and atmosphere to the track.

'Easy Now' showcases some of the better music on the record. Waves of fuzzy synth chords create the mood, while a great bass line, wah-guitar and some higher pitched synth lines are gelled together nicely. Then the vocals come in. You'll just have to listen to them. They completely clash against the music. They're emotionless, painfully slow and more often than not, out of key. What's unfortunate is that the music on this song is so good - the vocals completely take away from it. At the 2:19 mark, a bright collection of strings and electronica effects come in and you're just thinking to yourself...man, this should have been an instrumental.

The fourth track, 'On-On' begins with a cool vocal sample loop that eventually fades into the beginning of the song. Once again, the bass lines are incredible. They sound like something off of an 80's european dance record. Electronic keyboards and synths deliver numerous hooks and riffs that keep you invested in the song. As the song continues to grow, electric guitars emerge and they too deliver some excitement. But once again, the vocals ruin this song for me. They really serve no purpose.

The best collection of terrible vocals comes on '001.' The song begins with more of a rock lean, with furiously strumming guitars. From there a bright progression of keyboard and synth chords form over the guitars, creating a match that shouldn't work...but does. Pretty impressive. So we have all of this creativity and genre blending going on, which is turning into this amazing song - but then we also have the vocals. They're terrible. They once again completely ruin another song. There's no balance, no harmony, no tone, no enthusiasm...it's brutal.

As a music listener and a fan of Millionyoung, it's all too frustrating to try and comprehend these uninspired vocals. The music is there, the talent is there...but the vocals aren't. And two out of three is not enough to get it done. It's almost as if Millionyoung never even listened to the playback of "Replicants." All the had to do was listen to a couple of the songs, have a discussion and say, 'hey these vocals aren't working out, we really need to figure something out or take a different approach.' That's it. Until then, they'll always be the group with the awesome music and terrible singer.

Take a listen to 'On-On.'

Tracks

1.) Obelisk

2.) Cosmonaut

3.) Easy Now

4.) On-On

5.) Replicants

6.) Tokyo 3

7.) 001

8.) Forerunner

9.) Perfect Eyes

10.) Calrissian

11.) Sentimental

12.) Gravity Feels

13.) Syanthropic