Mobius Band - The Loving Sounds of Static

Mobius Band take the typical indie-rock equipment of guitar, bass, drums and electronic sounds, to create a sound which has seen them become popular with fans of bands like Broken Social Scene and The Walkmen, but also incorporates elements of more laid back electro acts like The Postal Service.

The Loving Sounds of Static is a quite appropriate name for their debut full length. It doesn’t sound like static, but there is a lot of texture on display, coming from the interplay between the instruments, but just as much from the spaces between them. And the songs are all quite embracing. Similar to The Postal Service’s Give Up, it’s an easy album to lie back and get lost in.

Perhaps a little too easy though. I found the songs lack a little bit of excitement. As good as songs like I Just turned 18 and Twilight are, they washed over me at first without much impact and required a few listens to really make an impression. And I must admit to dozing off to the album at least once. This is only partly a criticism since the prevailing aim on The Loving Sounds of Static does seem to be to create a state of relaxation and comfort.

Only a few songs such as Taxicab and Radio Coup properly show off the rocking energy the band can be capable of as well. They use it very carefully so as not to overwhelm the softer elements of the songs, but it’s rocking nonetheless. Largely this seems to be a problem with production to my ears. Everything is clear, but even though the pace and use of many instruments is often there, much of the album just feels flat. It doesn’t have the sparkle and inviting warmth of tone that something like Give Up does, and that seems to be its biggest defeat. It’s just so frustrating that an album so full of musical textures can seem so flat.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)