IT'S A LOVE CULT

After hearing 2001's Pheranothyme I had to check out more of this band's early stuff.

1. "Überwagner or a Billion Bubbles in My Mind" (5:36) deep 60s psychedelia with great drumming. (8.5/10)

2. "Circles" (4:00) The album's highlight. Previewing the softer side of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. (9.25/10)

3. "Neverland" (4:01) previewing the heavier version of Motorpsycho that will (re-)surface at the end of the decade. Never realized how influenced by 60s bands like The Doors and Argent these guys are. (8.5/10)

4. "This Otherness" (6:31) Sounds a bit like Neil Young/CSN&Y in their rock'n'roll/rockabilly glory. Beautiful voice in the lead. (8.5/10)

5. "Carousel" (7:16) orchestration? Why aren't they credited as they were on Pheranothyme? Sounds like this one was inspired by LED ZEPPELIN's "The Rain Song". Suffers a little from a weak vocal melody not matching up well with the acoustic guitar and orchestration. The ramped up finale is good. (12.75/15)

6. "What If..." (4:16) A little too much like a theme song to a 1960s game show--until the searing lead guitar shows up. Lots of horn embellishments. Intricately constructed but just lacks cohesion and engaging melody. (8.25/10)

7. "The Mirror and the Lie" (6:43) gentle and beautiful, this is another Motorpsycho song that reminds me of their Swedish compatriots, BROTHER APE (a group that has a real gift for producing endless earworm melodies). In the final quarter it feels as if a fantastical dream sequence is being played out. Quite magical. Another top three song for me. (13/10)

8. "Serpentine" (5:17) sounds like a happy-go-lucky pop song from the 70s--like Harry Nilsson, Andy Partridge lite, or FreddeGredde. (8.25/10)

9. "Custer's Last Stand (One More Daemon)" (4:06) trying very hard to incorporate some stereotypic "Indian" musical themes, this RADIOHEAD-like song has a lead vocal that is a little oddly paired with the music. I like the drumming--the way they're recorded--on this one. (8.5/10)

10. "Composite Head" (2:26) weird, almost-PRINCE-like start turns quickly into a variation on THE BEATLES' "Paperback Rider"--with twin Allman Brothers-like guitars. (4.25/5)

Total Time: 50:12

So many instruments, so little time! Maybe a little too scattered.

C/3.5 stars; a nice addition but totally non-essential; nice if you're a fan of the band.

Motorpsycho trilogy ending albums are usually great in many cases, and their whole psyche pop trilogy is rather no exception. I am surprised, though, that this album isn't as talked about as Phanerothyme, or even Let Them Eat Cake. My guess is due to those album's big successes, this album feels like an odd one in the band's lofty discography.

I think the reason why It's a Love Cult has this more odd status in the band's discography is possibly because after Let Them Eat Cake experimented with more 70s styled Prog Rock, and Phanerothyme was a lot more 60s style Psych Rock, I assume most would think they'd go for a more 50s rock n' roll style. That did not quite happen, but rather the album went back to a more 70s styled Prog Rock sound, which isn't bad since I really do like this sound they put on display.

I think It's a Love Cult is probably the most consistently good album in this trilogy of psych pop albums. Where Let Them Eat Cake had a very weak closure and Phanerothyme had some songs that never really worked out in the band's favor, I never found that this album had any really strong disservices. I find that every track on here works surprisingly well, from the softer spoken Carousel, to the harder hitting Custer's Last Stand (which I think the title is a Van Der Graaf Generator reference), all tracks on here has their distinct special moments and all sound very good that I find this album to be one of the band's most consistent, and gratifying albums.

I really do like how the band performs on these songs as they give an air of warmth to me. As someone who lives in a colder state in the US, I do need an album that can be my soft blanket. It is so vibrant and colorful that I cannot help but love it.

Though, there are some things that I am not quite fond of. While these songs are great, they do not have the same spice, or the same flavorful charm as Let Them Eat Cake or Phanerothyme. While I doubt the reason is because the band was getting bored playing psych pop music, I do think the reason is because what made the last two albums unique was the switch up from 70s Prog to 60s Psych, but then going back to 70s Prog kinda messes things slightly and makes this album not stand out among the rest. This is probably the only album the band has made that I wouldn't consider anywhere near multifarious, which is a shame.

I also find this album to be slightly a bit too long. While I don't want any of these songs scrapped, I do think they could've fit well in an promotional EP for this album since I think 50 minutes worth of this style of music doesn't really work. Most records in the 70s were either 30 to 45 minutes long. Sure there were exceptions, but most records you can pick up back in those days were somewhere in the 40 minute range, and only very rarely in the 50 or even double LP range. I think if they moved some tracks out and added them to an EP so the album can be somewhere in the 40 minute range then that'd make this album a very excellent closure to this psych pop trilogy.

This album is a fairly odd one, it goes back to a 70s style while also elongating itself to new extremes. Each song here is really well made, but I think it's a bit too long for its own good. Definitely a good album for those who really like the more psych pop side of Motorpsycho, and if you liked Let Them Eat Cake or Phanerothyme, I bet you money that this will also be a serviceable listen. A good closure to a magical mystery tour of a trilogy.