The creative partnership Josh Da Costa and Jamen Whitelock developed with their band
Regal Degal took many shapes. A romantic pop sensibility similar to some of synth pop's greatest names was always at the core of the band's songs, but those sensibilities were often buried in delay, distortion, or unexpected production turns. As
Regal Degal's run drew to a close, Da Costa and Whitelock lived on separate coasts but continued working together on new, more dancefloor-friendly music.
Confusing Mix of Nations is the first full-length album of their new work together as CMON, and it brings the tenderness and melodicism that was often obscured in their former band into full focus. Though still heavy on ambient textures and vocals doused in delay, "Peter Pan" is more defined by its gliding hooks, with slinky disco guitars threading together the song's well-constructed structure. Similarly, "Zoo" is built on a hazy lo-fi drum loop, but soon grows from shy verses into a dark but compelling arrangement. The slow build into the chorus comes off like a fully-realized pop song, replacing experimental randomness with intentional dynamics. The experimentation here shows up in more subtle production twists, slight vocal processing, and sonic details best heard on close-headphones listening. Along with their cleaner pop sound, CMON wear their influences proudly. The melancholy vocals and distant synth tones of "Good to Know" are plainly modeled on the
Pet Shop Boys and "Mindbloggling" borrows a melody from one of
Brian Eno's early rock tunes. Over the course of the album there are nods to
Ministry's gentler synth pop days, understated
Smiths-like guitar jangle and the youthful excitement of the first
MGMT album.
Confusing Mix of Nations is clean and colorful, an exciting natural progression from the rowdy searching of its creators earlier band that balances great songwriting with experimental tendencies. ~ Fred Thomas