Some of you guys may have seen Panda Bear talking about John Maus on his blog. Maus played keyboards for him and Ariel Pink while on tour and during that time he expressed a desire to play some of his own tracks for Noah and company. Noah said he has listened to John's work a lot in the past months. Coincidentally, Maus recently released his second album "Love Is Real." Panda Plug
So to address the album...Maus plays an unabashedly electronic form of keyboard pop (I apologize if this doesn't quit fit into the "indie rock" subforum) with his own baritone vocals over top. "Love Is Real" progresses quite a bit from his debut, refining the sounds down to crystal clear post-punk or dance rhythms and fat bass lines. As for the melodic elements, Maus lays down swelling synth chord progressions or arpeggios, touching upon classical composition on tracks such as "Green Bouzard." Ultimately what I love about this album is John's vocals. Even when delivering the most simple of lyrics, his voice lends the music a somber gravitas. Though some may complain that the lyrics are trite, when listening to the album, in all its korg-preset glory, it works splendidly.
Give "Love Is Real" a listen and tell me what you think!
As a small addition: if you are having trouble finding or ordering a copy of "Love Is Real," send me a private message and I'll point you in the right direction.
Also here are two tracks from the album that I have linked from Upset the Rhythm's website. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
I believe he's in Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti... Yeah, I remember listening to his debut. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll definitely check it out.
