It is reasonable to suggest that Múm are currently in a period of transition. If that's the case, they might choose to linger in this languid and childlike pop ecstasy.
In a sense, after the departure of the Vlatýsdóttir sisters, (who adorn the cover of Belle and Sebastian's Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant), Múm are reduced to founding members Gunnar Örn Tynes and Örvar Þóreyjarson. On the other hand, for recording and touring purposes, they are actually now a seven-piece group with ideas and momentum aplenty. The newest member is Sigurlaug Gísladóttir, of mr.Silla, on vocals. Ólöf Arnalds, whose solo album Við og við is attracting interest in Europe, also sings and plays violin and guitar. There is also cellist Hildur Gudnadottir, who likewise has a solo debut out (Mount A), tours with Pan Sonic, and is a member of Angel with Schneider TM and Ilpo Väisänen. And finally, long-time Múm collaborator Eiríkur Orri Olafsson co-writes some tracks and plays trumpet (as he does when touring with Sigur Rós), pianette, moog, and (the often overlooked) whistling.
One striking aspect of Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy is the rhythmic invention of Samuli Kosminen. This begins with the opener "Blessed Brambles," which initially seems propelled by something resembling the sound of highly-amplified rubber bands being plucked. My attention was also drawn to a section of "They Made Frogs Smoke 'Til They Exploded" which recalls the bass line on Captain Beefheart's splendidly silly "The Blimp." By contrast, other parts of the record are slowly mutating dreamlike places constructed from what might be termed 'recovered, shredded blueprints of the Canterbury scene'. Indeed, I had to check to ensure that Robert Wyatt is not singing on the gorgeous stand-out "Moon Pulls," a hypnotic track that sounds as if it could have come from his quiet EP A Short Break.
Anyone seeking to hear the transformation of bleeps and squiggles—taken from who knows where—into very affecting melody could do worse than listen carefully to "Dancing Behind My Eyelids." I could be mistaken, but the use of toy instruments probably peaks on "Schoolsong Misfortune" and Eiríkur Orri Olafsson's serene trumpet on the following track, "I Was Her Horse," is a welcome contrast. There is a fine balance between upbeat and haunting on Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy, and the whole CD is bathed in a gorgeous sonic clarity that (ahem) ain't half hot, Múm. I guess its pop-ambience will be loved, reviled or tolerated, according to taste.
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