Album Review: Full Moon Film by Karl Mohr

When it rains, it pours. For example, this writer was recently hit by not one but TWO tragedies. First, my hard drive magically stopped existing, giving me cause to bring my computer (which is six months old, by the way, and a MAC, which I was under the impression never break) to the hospital for a brain transplant. Then, to add insult to injury, I came down with a bad case of the plague and missed a bunch of work. That's right, I was sitting at home. Sick. WITHOUT A COMPUTER.

Yeah, it was terrible. I did pretty much an entire book of logic problems. I now officially hate logic problems. I also managed to work my way through High Fidelity, Flight of the Conchords, and Season One of Wonder Showzen, which is soul-crushing but wonderful.

Anyway, you get the idea. It was pretty boring. Luckily, though, I received a piece of mail that temporarily cracked the tedium. It was a lovely little album by Karl "Dance Party" Mohr, who you may remember from the last two posts (I'm thinking of renaming my blog "The Mohr Show." What do you think?), and a note wishing me "butterflies and miracles."

Butterflies and miracles, indeed, gentle readers. More like vampires and 80s theme parties. Or perhaps butterflies and miracles from beyond the grave.

Needless to say, I love it. Not that I don't love the whole synth-rock-emo-pop thing that is so hot right now in independent music, particularly in Canada. It's just that it's awfully refreshing to see something different. Something dark, but not pretentious, and certainly not emo.

Anyway, on to Full Moon Film...

The album opens with "The Slut Within," which singlehandedly earns Karl his "Dance Party" nickname. Then he takes it down a notch with "All Good Seasons," which features a few choice bars from the Canadian national anthem. I know I'm supposed to be a writer and everything, but it's hard for me to describe that using anything other than the word "awesome."

And the awesome just continues with "Storyline," which makes me want to clean my house. For those of you who know me, you understand that this is a big deal. Rarely is anything so motivating. Go Karl.

Aside from a possibly pointless cover of "She's a Rainbow" by the Rolling Stones (sorry Karl, I'm a cover snob), the rest of the album is all up and up from there. It's all a great, wonderful journey into the mind of Karl, whose mind, it seems, looks like a 4am rave among the ruins of a very old European cathedral. It's a journey I am be happy to travel again.

I was worried, upon receiving this album, that I would hate it. I mean, it's one thing to pick on Jens Lekman, who will probably never read this blog and doesn't care what I think anyway, but I don't want to say mean things about nice people who send me music. I can safely say, though, to my relief and delight, that my fears were unjustified. Full Moon Film is, in short, a rad, rad album. Karl Mohr is definitely going places. Watch out, Spencer Krug. There's a new next David Byrne.

And that's the way it is.

- Jocelyn

P.S. Karl has been nice enough to provide you, my loving readers, the demo for "Storyline," which is, as previously alluded to, pretty much the best song ever. Pretty much. Download it here. Also check out his website. Do it.