Performer Notes

Personnel: Ruban Nielson (guitar).
For his dense, mellow second album, Ruban Nielson continues to challenge himself and his audience by working within the detailed sonic framework crafted on Unknown Mortal Orchestra's 2011 debut. Like on Nielson's first outing, the songs are a hodgepodge of collaged headphone candy, revolving around his childlike vocals, wonder, and multi-layered production, but here, lighthearted pop melodies are obscured by a melancholy tone. There are hooks, but they are not quite as obvious. This can be a good thing, however. Even if II is not as sunny, fun, or simple, Nielson wears the badge of maturity well and doesn't fall prey to typical sophomore pitfalls or lose track of his original psychedelic vision. It's reassuring to find that even after signing to Jagjaguwar, the album still feels like a bedroom studio creation, because his most endearing quality is his creative craftsmanship, and it shines. Each song is carefully and imaginatively put together, with nothing excessive to tarnish the clean lines of the songwriting or arrangements. This is especially impressive considering that on this album, Unknown Mortal Orchestra use a wider spread of sounds, and additional instrumentation is added by members of the touring band. Hip-hop breakbeats acted as the backbone for nearly all of the early material, so adding live drums changes the dynamic, but never seems to complicate matters. Instead, it provides a sense of movement that allows Nielson to show off his guitar playing, which is never showy but is extremely clever; rotating from apt funk riffs, to prog scales, to fingerpicking. From the opening moments of the trippy, lo-fi intro "From the Sun" all the way to the funky-as-a-Hendrix-ballad closer "Secret Xtians," II takes risks and achieves greatness. ~ Jason Lymangrover

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (p.67) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "The Portland trio make decaying states of consciousness seem like heaven with psychedelic guitar-pop that's alluringly out of focus."

CMJ - "[S]tandout track 'So Good At Being In Trouble' starts with a deep guitar riff that oddly brings to mind the opening of 1990s R&B jam 'Too Close' before filling in the blanks between the lolling guitar lines with a repeated, quick-footed drum part."

Paste (magazine) - "Nielson still taps into future sounds to convey his love for the past. Guitars are more prominent this time around in the form of fuzzed-out strums and more controlled, slinky patterns."

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Album: II
#	Song Title		Time
1)	From the Sun	More Info...	0:04
2)	Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark)	More Info...	0:02
3)	So Good at Being in Trouble	More Info...	0:04
4)	One at a Time	More Info...	0:02
5)	The Opposite of Afternoon	More Info...	0:05
6)	No Need for a Leader	More Info...	0:05
7)	Monki	More Info...	0:07
8)	Dawn	More Info...	0:01
9)	Faded in the Morning	More Info...	0:04
10)	Secret Xtians	More Info...	0:02

Album: II
#	Song Title		Time
1)	From the Sun	More Info...	0:04
2)	Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark)	More Info...	0:02
3)	So Good at Being in Trouble	More Info...	0:04
4)	One at a Time	More Info...	0:02
5)	The Opposite of Afternoon	More Info...	0:05
6)	No Need for a Leader	More Info...	0:05
7)	Monki	More Info...	0:07
8)	Dawn	More Info...	0:01
9)	Faded in the Morning	More Info...	0:04
10)	Secret Xtians	More Info...	0:02