Monday, June 01, 2009

mo' NOMO

For those of you who read my Favorites of 2008 List, you might remember seeing NOMO's album Ghost Rock on the list. Well, less than year after originally posting on it (back here), the band is back with another full length album titled Invisible Cities. It was recorded during the Ghost Rock sessions and tours, but don't let that fool you - by no means are these cast-offs, b-sides, or noodle sessions.

As with their previous release, there are nine tracks here of instrumental goodness, and while it shares some characteristics, it also has some subtle differences. Of course present are some killer horn section work as well as curious sounds created from instruments invented by the band, something they love to do. To my ears, the album sounds a little more intricately textured though, with more subtle layers building upon each other, almost having a orchestral effect at times. There also seems to be less of an electronic feel to it compared to the last album and more of a natural flow very reminiscent of a mix between the tribalness of the Congotronics series and the raw funkiness of Fela Kuti.

The entire album is certainly cohesive, and even coming less than a year after its predecessor claims an identity of its own. Check out the album's opener, the title track, below.



and an older one:



Visit their website, their label Ubiquity Records, and become their friend on MySpace.

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