Menomena is an unclassifiable indie rock band (the media likes to call them ‘experimental rock band’) from Portland, Oregon. With
Friend and Foe, the follow-up album to their self-released debut “I am the Fun Monster,” (since “Under An Hour” was more of a collaboration with Monster Squad, for personal selfish reasons, not counting that) Menomena have finally come into their own; forging an eclectic sound that is sometimes -- fashionably and unfairly -- compared to The Shins (who’ve become quite popular thanks to Zach Braff’s “Garden State”).
Featuring a blend of wails and mellow screams (all three band members share vocal duties), the album features Menomena’s trademark improvisation of baritone sax, piano, drums, glockenspiel (who doesn’t love glockenspiel!) and, of course, plenty of noise-making computer manipulation.
Friend and Foe is front-loaded with memorable, head-bobbing stadium anthems like "Muscle n’ Flow," "The Pelican" and, my most favourite track, "Air Aid." The midsection is a little limp with the wistfulness of "Boyscout’n" and "My My," but "Evil Bee" helps the album quickly recover and paves the way for more abstraction with "Ghost Ship" and "West."
Friend and Foe has a nice tonal balance of the classic and avant-garde. It’s impressive that the band fends off the urge to overuse trippy sounds generated from their custom software Deeler. I have a theory: Menomena angle for a cross between The Cure and Radiohead (especially “Kid A” and “Hail to the Thief.”). Raw, tight rocking, with electronica at the center.
Minor imperfections aside, this is quite possibly the first great album of 2007.
Rating: 
1/2 out of
