LET THEM EAT CAKE

The turn of a new century marked a new change in Motorpsycho's approach to music. As with every new release of this band, they try a variety of things like new sounds or new approaches in how they want to craft their albums. With this new release, the band was trying to capture a wider audience in their grasp, while still retaining their very psychedelic, and now more progressive flavors of sound. This obviously makes this record their quote on quote "pop" album, but Motorpsycho's pop is not necessarily gonna be as accessible as Yes' or Genesis' pop.

Let Them Eat Cake is a smaller album, not one of their big hour long monuments. It is 45 minutes long and contains 9, 3-6 minute tracks that all feature different approaches to a more pop sound, while keeping up with the band's image. I think this is actually one of the band's strongest albums as a whole. It is not a complete masterpiece by any means, but I find this to be an album that, no matter my mood, or my feelings, I find to be one of the band's most consistent and concrete albums. There are no bad songs on this album, and in fact I think they might be the band's most stable efforts.

The sound found here is very reminiscent of early 70s Prog Rock. I am getting flavors of Gentle Giant and King Crimson within the violins, and some more jazzy elements that groups like Weather Report included in their sound, but in a more Motorpsychoesque aura that is a lot more jammy and rocking. I really enjoy this sort of direction the band is taking, sort of homaging this classic era of Prog music while still keeping up with their sound. You also get some psychedelic pop/rock elements from songs like Big Surprise and Never Let You Out, heck Never Let You Out has a little bit at the start that sounds kinda like a Syd Barrett song. This homage really does let this album grab a hold of me, and most likely newer, more younger fans of Motorpsycho. When people say this is their pop record, I see it more as less of a pop sounding album and more of an album that resonates with pop culture. Obviously Prog is an alternative genre, though that said it is still really highly popular in pop culture. I mean it is a given, bands like Pink Floyd are extremely popular, and around this time TOOL was also going up in popularity and charts, especially since one year after this record was released they'd create Lateralus, which we all know is extremely popular, even to non Progheads.

To me, this album is Motorpsycho's take on the retro Prog scene that The Flower Kings, Echolyn, and Änglagård were experimenting with, and I am all for it. Motorpsycho creating a more contemporary, and jammy approach to that type of sound really does let the music bend and shape to their heart's content.

If I do have to say one issue this album has, it's probably really only the last track of 30/30. It isn't a bad song per say, but I feel as though it could've been a way better ending for this album to take. It kinda makes this album end with a sour whimper than a sweet bang, and when you call your album something related to a sweet dessert and a quote from a monarch, it is a little bad on your part to end the album off with something a bit lackluster.

If I had one word to describe this album, it'd be concrete. It is a very solid record that really has no bad parts aside from the last track, and even then it never sours the experience to where it ruins the album. If you really like the classic 70s sound of Prog and more jammy music, then this album is one that is a must listen, and I think also one that can be a serviceable introduction to the band's forefront. It is an album that shows that Motorpsycho was a lot more progressive than some may think, even in a more pop context.