Album Review: mondo electric guest

Mondo is the debut record from North American electro indie duo Electric Guest. The hype in the lead-up to the release of Mondo was largely built around the involvement of famed producer Danger Mouse, who has a longstanding friendship with Electric Guest. Now that Mondo has arrived it's time to see if the album can stand up based on its material alone.

Those familiar with Electric Guest will already be aware of lead singles This Head I Hold and American Daydream. Though both songs play at different tempos there's a definitive and enticing rhythm to each. This Head I Hold is a drum-driven hand-clapping free-for-all that's too energetic to resist. Meanwhile, American Daydream lurks at a methodical pace that meshes well with the mischievous seething quality of the vocals. Unfortunately neither single is a fair representation of Mondo's overall sound. An eclectic collection of genres, Mondo plays as mostly disjointed. Waves is a quick stepping surf-pop jingle in the latter half of the record. Under The Gun is modern R'n'B during the verses but then switches to an Empire Of The Sun-esque vocal delivery for the chorus. Awake brings a little funk to the proceedings while Troubleman is an acoustic-based ballad that refuses to end.

However, there is a common thread to Electric Guests' Mondo - soul. Not only in a sonic sense but also in a caretaker capacity. Mondo may play just as smoothly on shuffle as it does in its intended sequence but the passion of the young musicians is evident at all times. Ultimately, Mondo could use more tracks like the two aforementioned singles and an overall direction but Electric Guest have left themselves open to a future of infinite possibilities.