The Morning Benders recently decided to change their name to POP ETC; yes, caps lock on. As detailed in a lengthy post on the band’s old website, the cause of the change centered on their use of “benders‚” which carries a homophobic association in parts of Europe and the U.K. Yes, POP ETC is a generic moniker, and it sadly nutshells their current (and possible future) sound.
The “pop” part is predictable, unoriginal, and plastered with prepackaged, Katy Perry-esque beats and rhythms. The album seems fragmented, with several short, wordless tracks that serve little purpose except for testing the 'Next' button. Track 3, “Where's the Love,” ends with a sound bite of a Tupac Shakur four-letter-word-laden rant about motivation. Random much? The high-fill, little-thrill' result leaves me wanting.
The brothers Chu's saving grace is their exploitation of a proven formula and familial harmonizing, particularly on the track “Settling Scores.” And, yet, the overuse of auto-tuning, drum machines, and shoddy, “bathroom-studio” production bore me. I want more “Etc.”
Final count for Mixtape: 11 tracks, minus 4 interludes and a mediocre Bjork cover (“Unravel”), leaves but six new songs. It’s a bloated EP. Will the name change and a weak re-debut be the deathblow for this Berkeley trio?
The Morning Benders recently decided to change their name to POP ETC; yes, caps lock on. As detailed in a lengthy post on the band’s old website, the cause of the change centered on their use of “benders‚” which carries a homophobic association in parts of Europe and the U.K. Yes, POP ETC is a generic moniker, and it sadly nutshells their current (and possible future) sound.
The “pop” part is predictable, unoriginal, and plastered with prepackaged, Katy Perry-esque beats and rhythms. The album seems fragmented, with several short, wordless tracks that serve little purpose except for testing the 'Next' button. Track 3, “Where's the Love,” ends with a sound bite of a Tupac Shakur four-letter-word-laden rant about motivation. Random much? The high-fill, little-thrill' result leaves me wanting.
The brothers Chu's saving grace is their exploitation of a proven formula and familial harmonizing, particularly on the track “Settling Scores.” And, yet, the overuse of auto-tuning, drum machines, and shoddy, “bathroom-studio” production bore me. I want more “Etc.”
Final count for Mixtape: 11 tracks, minus 4 interludes and a mediocre Bjork cover (“Unravel”), leaves but six new songs. It’s a bloated EP. Will the name change and a weak re-debut be the deathblow for this Berkeley trio?