Superorganism
Superorganism
Domino
Superorganism seemed to pop up out of nowhere — now we can’t stop hearing about them. Their unusual brand of internet-age alt-pop has pricked up the ears of many since their first single release a year ago. Their self-titled debut album, however, seems to have just fallen short of the mark.
Superorganism have been hailed for their unusual genesis and working conditions — all but one of the eight-piece live and work together from their London home, after scooping up vocalist Orono Noguchi from her US home. She is roughly a decade younger than her peers, but that doesn’t seem to get in the way of the creative process — rather, it seems to fuel it.
The overarching feeling left by their self-title record is that it is just too same-y. The repetition of certain synth bits and sound effects was clearly intentional, but the similarity between tracks grows to become droll very rapidly. It feels as though most tracks are built too heavily on three elements: a prominent electric drum, a funky synth and a few quirky voices or everyday noises. Sure, this will do the trick for those who like their albums uniform and predictable, but for those who want a little more you’ll be tough out of luck.
That is not to say, however, that Superorganism isn’t an innovative piece of music in other ways. Although it calls back to artists like MGMT with certain features, it is unequivocally itself. From the references to life coach Tony Robbins in It’s All Good to the intermingling of Korean and Japanese with English in Something For Your Mind and Nai’s March, it’s not your average indie record. The influence of the internet’s craziness is evident both in the direct references and the sonic output of the tracks.
The album peaks at its conclusion with Night Time. A track that’s been getting a lot of Triple J airplay, it features crickets and car noises which accompany a more stock-standard indie sound. Noguchi’s voice finds a more melodic bent as she sings of late nights enveloped by the internet — an activity most of us can relate to in some way.
Superorganism’s debut has garnered much talk for its unique production aesthetic, but at the end of the day their tendencies towards the strange and surprising aren’t enough to make the songs shine. The intricacies and deliberate attempt at ‘new’ is appreciated, but for the music to really grip some contrast between tracks is essential. And hey, on the bright side bands rarely peak at release one anyway.
ELOISE PARKS
