The Mothmen – [Album]

At first I was surprised to see that this CD originally came out in 1981. It has a very contemporary feel to it, like some of the farther out fringes of today’s music. But then I remember that 1981 was actually a prime year for experimental rock. The initial punk explosion of a few years prior had been spurred by an intense burst of creativity. As punk devolved into either hardcore or poppy New Wave, the remaining creative energies had to go somewhere. Some wild sonic styles on the far fringes of rock resulted, including such bands as Flipper, Joy Division and the entire No Wave movement.

The Mothmen fit securely in this scenario. There is a strong sense of searching on this disc; searching for a direction as a band, for a place in the post-punk world. They draw on a variety of sources for their sounds here, ranging from dub reggae to Frank Zappa. The result is a wide variety of musical forms, from straightforward songs (“Animal Animaux,” “Change Direction,” “Does It Matter”) to pure experimentation (“Factory Teapoint Factory” “Tardis”). Most of all, they play around in studio, trying out electronic effects and found sounds. The result is some studio wizard version of jamming.

The centerpiece of the album is the twenty-minute “Mothman,” a rhythmic jam session that doesn’t really develop much, yet remains hypnotic. This cut also provides the basis for the album; a consistent, if occasionally unsteady, rhythm section. The occasional wobble in the beat gives the music its character, and it also gives them something to bounce the weirdness off of.

Of course, experimentation only goes so far in today’s music world (and the music world of 1981), and that rhythm section straightened up and eventually formed the much more popular (even if only for a song or two) Simply Red. In the end, Pay Attention! does fit in its time, providing a snapshot of musical culture not sure where it might go next.

Artist:
www.skysaw.org/onu/artists/mothmen.html
www.allmusic.com/artist/mothmen
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mothmen

Album:
The On-U reissue of Pay Attention! is out now. Buy it here on Amazon .