Disguised As Ghosts would fit perfectly as the next Zooey Deschanel (QRO photos) movie soundtrack. Everything about it, from the lyrics to every song being under four minutes, screams simplicity through indie rock quirkiness. After a three year wait from their fairly decent previous album Captain Love, Mock Orange’s latest is more of a step backwards that leaves much to be desired.
It’s readily apparent that the band is still reaching for those soundscapes that made a few (but not all) of the tracks on Captain Love like "Song in D" or "Old Movies" so great, but Disguised just does not bring a single song to the table that feels worthy of sitting next to any of their previous work. In fact, some of these songs feel downright lazy. "My Car" is exactly as exciting as it sounds, with the singer literally starting the song with, "Look at my car / It’s got everything / It can go fast, and I really mean it / It can go far." The only redeeming factor on a lot of these songs is the competence of the overall indie rock sound. If Rogue Wave (QRO album review) is the height of musical perfection for you, this might serve as a decent aside if you’re looking to get more of a fill after the gaping hole Permalight left.
Also, what is it with short albums lately? This album clocks in at just over 30 minutes, and it shows. Just as the album starts to pick up and go somewhere, it ends abruptly without even leaving a desire to let the album loop and listen again. It’s your high school prom night all over again.
If you’re already a diehard Mock Orange fan, you will dig this. They’ve clearly found their footing, and they’re sticking to it. That said, if this kind of quirky indie pop is your thing, but you’ve never even heard of Mock Orange, you’d be better off sticking with Rogue Wave or early Modest Mouse (QRO album review) and not bothering with this.
MP3 Stream: "I Can Sing"
