Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK

 
Album Review: Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK

  • Artist: Múm
  • Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: 2000
  • Genre: Electronica

Review

Iceland's Múm proves to be as successful at creating emotional ambient electronic music as they are at posing for album covers (the twin sisters in the band appeared on the sleeve of Belle & Sebastian's Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant). Yesterday Was Dramatic -- Today Is OK blends equal parts early Aphex Twin atmosphere, glitchy clicks reminiscent of Autechre, and dramatic musical elements that evoke the sorrow and glory of compatriot's Sigur Rós. Múm allow their songs to stretch out into lush, lengthy arrangements as a synthetic accordion mingles with rolling beats, icy analog effects, beeping instruments that recall some fantastic Disney ride, and the occasional female voice humming or singing quietly. Melodicas, glockenspiels, and other exotic instruments spur recurring motifs of sadness and joy. When the album isn't operating as a perfect postmodern lullaby, Múm is at work crafting memorable melodies. "Awake on a Train" is typical of the startling beauty the band achieves throughout the album, as tinkering keyboards and a lone voice work as aural tearjerkers. "The Ballad of the Broken Birdie Records" suggests what the pairing of Cocteau Twins and Mike Paradinas might have sounded like, as throbbing, hazy electronics lean against haunting vocals. "Sunday Night Just Keeps on Rolling" brings to mind tiny ships sounding off to each other across a sea of flowing lava. Though the album is modern in its inception, the music is effortlessly timeless and thoroughly engrossing. Yesterday Was Dramatic -- Today Is OK is an unmitigated, accessible masterpiece. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
I'm 9 Today Múm (4:42)
Smell Memory Múm (9:23)
There Is a Number of Small Things Múm (6:32)
Random Summer Múm (3:12)
Asleep on a Train Múm (7:17)
Awake on a Train Múm (9:23)
The Ballad of the Broken Birdie Records Múm (5:25)
The Ballad of the Broken String Múm (4:45)
Sunday Night Just Keeps on Rolling Múm (8:10)
Slow Bicycle Múm (8:47)

Credits

Múm (Mixing), Múm (Engineer), Hildur Gudnadóttir (Strings), Helga Bjorg Arnardottir (Klarnet), Múm (Artwork), Eiríkur Orri Ólafsson (Trumpet)
Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
Wikipedia: Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK
Top
Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK
Studio album by Múm
Released 11 March 2000 (2000-03-11)
Genre Electronic
Length 67:41
Label TMT
Producer Múm, Finnur Björnsson
Professional reviews
Múm chronology
Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK
(2000)
Finally We Are No One
(2002)

Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK is the debut album by experimental Icelandic musical group múm, originally released on TMT (Iceland) on 11 March 2000, and then on 2 April 2001 in the United Kingdom. In 2005 the album was performed live in its entirety as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties-curated Don't Look Back series.

Contents

Track listing

  1. "I'm 9 Today" – 4:42
  2. "Smell Memory" – 9:23
  3. "There Is a Number of Small Things" – 6:32
  4. "Random Summer" – 3:12
  5. "Asleep on a Train" – 7:17
  6. "Awake on a Train" – 9:23
  7. "The Ballad of the Broken Birdie Records" – 5:25
  8. "The Ballad of the Broken String" – 4:45
  9. "Sunday Night Just Keeps on Rolling" – 8:10
  10. "Slow Bicycle" – 8:47

Personnel

  • Eiríkur Orri Ólafsson – trumpet on track 6.
  • Helga Björg Arnardóttir – clarinet on tracks 3 and 6
  • Stefán Már Magnússon – rhythm guitar on track 6
  • Hildur Guðnadóttir, Gróa Margrét Valdimarsdóttir, Sigríður Geirsdóttir – strings on track 6
  • Arnaldur Hilmisson, Múm – artwork

Release history

Region Date Label Catalog
Iceland 11 March 2000 TMT Entertainment TMT02CD, TMT02LP
United Kingdom 2 April 2001 TMT Entertainment TMT02CD, TMT02LP
Japan 25 September 2001 P-Vine PCD-23157
United Kingdom 21 January 2002 Tugboat Records TUGCD021, TUGLP021
Europe 3 October 2005 Morr Music MM058CD, MM0582LP

External links


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK" Read more