''V'' is the fifth studio album by New Zealand band

Unknown Mortal Orchestra Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO) is a New Zealand psychedelic rock band formed in Auckland, primarily composed of singer, guitarist, and songwriter Ruban Nielson, and bassist Jake Portrait. The band is currently based in Portland, Oregon, United ...

, released on 17 March 2023 through

Jagjaguwar Jagjaguwar is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Jagjaguwar is a label included in Secretly Group, which also includes ...

. It is a

double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...

. The album was influenced by "West Coast AOR, classic hits, weirdo pop and Hawaiian Hapa-haole music". It was created in

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land a ...

, and

Hilo, Hawaii Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement i ...

. The album's performers include bandleader

Ruban Nielson Ruban Nielson (born 20 February 1980) is a New Zealand musician, singer and songwriter, best known for being the frontman of the psychedelic rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra. One of the most acclaimed New Zealand musicians of his generation, he ...

and his brother, Kody. It also features their father, saxophonist and flutist Chris Nielson, and longtime Unknown Mortal Orchestra member Jacob Portrait.

Promotion and release

Singles and music videos

On 25 June 2021, the single "Weekend Run" was released with an accompanying music video filmed by Amanda Hugenquist and edited by Chloe Hemingway. The video depicts bandleader

performing a variety of daily activities, including playing video games, riding an exercise bicycle, eating meals, and sitting beside a swimming pool while drinking from a bottle of champagne. A second single, "That Life", was released on 4 August 2021. The single was accompanied by a

surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

music video directed by Lydia Fine and Tony Blahd that features a dancing blue puppet modeled after Ruban Nielson. The puppet was created by puppeteer and fabricator Laura Manns, who has worked with

The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...

and ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...

''. As the puppet dances beside a swimming pool, he begins drinking and losing his grip on reality. The scene shifts to a desert, where the puppet is abducted by aliens. He returns dressed only in his underwear, but resumes his dancing in an restless stupor. The video ends with the puppet left in a daze, drooling and sweating profusely. The sense of reality is skewed throughout the video as the camouflaged puppeteers are increasingly made visible. Camera shots occasionally zoom out to reveal that each of the puppet's locations are fabricated sets in a studio. On 25 October 2022, "I Killed Captain Cook", was released with a press release indicating the song would appear on a forthcoming

to be released in 2023. An accompanying

Super 8 Super 8 or Super Eight may refer to: Film * Super 8 film, a motion picture film format released in 1965 * Super 8 film camera, a motion picture camera used to film Super 8mm motion picture format * ''Super 8'' (2011 film), a science-fiction fi ...

music video directed by Ruban Nielson was released alongside the single, featuring his mother

hula Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form accompanied by chant (oli) or song (Mele (Hawaiian language), mele). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of t ...

dancing on the beach at Keaukaha in

. The album was officially announced on 2 February 2023, alongside the release of the fourth single "Layla". The single was accompanied by a music video directed by the Brazilian directing duo Vira-Lata. The video is the first part of a two-part series chronicling the adventures of two young women bonded through a passionate but ephemeral friendship. The album's fifth single, "Nadja", was released on 21 February 2023 with another visual directed by Vira-Lata. A stark contrast to the euphoric and energetic narrative of the video for "Layla", the sequel video depicts the two young women after they have separated. Dark imagery and depictions of isolation are contrasted with radiant colours and scenes of a dance party, mirroring the juxtaposition between the song's music and lyrics. The video series ends with the two women standing in shallow water as they reunite in an emotional embrace. The album's sixth and final single, "Meshuggah", was released on 13 March 2023. On 17 March 2023, a music video directed by Morian Mikhail was released, featuring footage of

street racing Street racing is typically an unsanctioned and illegal form of auto racing that occurs on a public road. Racing in the streets is considered an ancient hazard, as horse racing occurred on streets for centuries, and street racing in automobiles is ...

stitched together with scenes of a young romance.

Tour

On 25 October 2022, the band announced an upcoming tour of North America and the United Kingdom beginning in March 2023, marking their first tour dates in four years.

Music and themes

"That Life" is a mid-tempo

psychedelic pop Psychedelic pop (or acid pop) is pop music that contains musical characteristics associated with psychedelic music. Developing in the late 1960s, elements included " trippy" features such as fuzz guitars, tape manipulation, backwards recording, ...

song with a prominent "tumbling" guitar riff. The song features a "playful" rhythm and leans into a funk sound. Many critics characterised the song as having a "sunny" summer quality. The song was inspired by

Hieronymus Bosch Hieronymus Bosch (, ; born Jheronimus van Aken ; – 9 August 1516) was a Dutch/Netherlandish painter from Brabant. He is one of the most notable representatives of the Early Netherlandish painting school. His work, generally oil on oa ...

triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek language, Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) t ...

altarpiece ''

The Garden of Earthly Delights ''The Garden of Earthly Delights'' is the modern title given to a triptych oil painting on oak panel painted by the Early Netherlandish master Hieronymus Bosch, between 1490 and 1510, when Bosch was between 40 and 60 years old. It has bee ...

'' and the puzzle book illustrations of ''

Where's Wally ''Where's Wally?'' (called ''Where's Waldo?'' in North America) is a British series of children's puzzle books created by English illustrator Martin Handford. The books consist of a series of detailed double-page spread illustrations depicti ...

''. It imagines similar "contrasting scenes and multiple characters all engaged in that same perverse mixture of luxury, reverie, damnation, in the landscape of America. Somewhere on holiday under a vengeful sun". "That Life" has been interpreted as an commentary on the clash between

escapism Escapism is mental diversion from unpleasant or boring aspects of daily life, typically through activities involving imagination or entertainment. Escapism may be used to occupy one's self away from persistent feelings of depression or genera ...

and the harsh realities of life. Nielson sings, "Girl in the bathroom, Florida key / Certainties all away / Brother of cocaine, a tequila son-in-law / End of the world today / How do the clouds get as pink as a peach?" Scott Russell of '' Paste'' described the track's "uncanny energy" as being "both carefree and apocalyptic, part daydream and part waking nightmare". "Weekend Run" is a "groove-heavy" track with a strong influence of 1970s

disco music Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric piano ...

and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

. A slow-burning five-minute number, the song is populated with "pop-infused" melodies and a "danceable" beat. Nielson's soft, "laidback" vocals throughout the track are backed by "wavy" indie guitar riffs and a "chugging" bassline. The song's lyrical content explores themes of

as Nielson sings about the week's mundanities and chasing the "perfect velvet freedom" provided by the weekend. The lyrics list each day of the week, building up to the chorus where Nielson sings, "When the weekend comes / Yeah, we'll be lost in love". The song's "stop-start" structure creates a feeling of repetition, mimicking Nielson's repetition of the days of the week. "Nadja" is a melancholy track characterised by the "quiet sway" of its "gentle" rhythm. It features sparse instrumentation that highlights Nielson's "hypnotic" vocals and guitar. The lyrics touch upon themes of escape, paranoia, and obsession as Nielson sings, "Nadja baby / Found a strand of your hair and ate it / Couldn't throw away this thing you left behind". The song's dark lyrical themes are juxtaposed with the song's "supreme sense of sonic bliss". The song has been perceived as being a sequel to "Layla". "I Killed Captain Cook" is an acoustic ballad told from the perspective of the Hawaiian who killed the British explorer Captain

James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...

, after he attempted to kidnap the ruling Hawaiian chief

Kalaniʻōpuʻu Kalaniōpuu-a-Kaiamamao (c. 1729 – April 1782) was the aliʻi nui (supreme monarch) of the island of Hawaiʻi. He was called ''Terreeoboo, King of Owhyhee'' by James Cook and other Europeans. His name has also been written as Kaleiopuu. Bio ...

in 1779. According to the song's press release, the song was written for Nielson's mother, who would "tell him the story as a child with pride". The song is unique for employing the Hapa-haole (Half white) tradition of Hawaiian music, which blends traditional Hawaiian melodies with English lyrics. The song was heavily influenced by the fingerpicking style known as

slack-key guitar Slack-key guitar (from Hawaiian ''kī hōalu'', which means "loosen the uningkey") is a fingerstyle genre of guitar music that originated in Hawaii after Portuguese cowboys introduced Spanish guitars there in the late 19th century. The Hawaiian ...

. Lyrically, Nielson drew inspiration from the work of the Melbourne-based

drone metal Drone metal or drone doom is a style of heavy metal that melds the slow tempos and heaviness of doom metal with the long-duration tones of drone music. Drone metal is sometimes associated with post-metal or experimental metal. Characteristics Ty ...

duo Divide and Dissolve.

Critical reception

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an

average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...

score of 76, based on 12 reviews. Fred Thomas of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

wrote, "It's just as easy of an album to drift off in thought to as it is to obsess over its patchwork of details and strange coloration, reaching a deeper, more thoughtful expression of the kind of bizarre beauty the band excels at". Jason Anderson of ''

Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...

'' gave the album a 9 out of 10 rating, calling it "an album confirming Ruban Nielson's versatility and imagination, as well as a new willingness to escape the nooks and crannies of his own psyche and engage more fully with the world outside". Kevin Harley of ''

Record Collector ''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide. History The early years The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches ba ...

'' called it Nielson's "most expansive, inviting work yet". Victoria Segal of ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

'' gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, concluding, "There are featureless patches, bits of white-box real-estate that need a little more character, but there's always something intriguing around ''V''s corners". ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

''s Marty Sartini Garner wrote, "Ruban Nielson accompanies some of his strongest songwriting and performances to date with foggy production that makes the whole thing feel like a long, rummy sigh".

Year-end lists

Track listing

Personnel

1. "The Garden" *

– vocals, guitar, piano * Jacob Portrait – bass * Kody Nielson – drums, piano, synthesizer 2. "Guilty Pleasures" * Ruban Nielson – vocals, piano, bass * Kody Nielson – drums * Chris Nielson – trumpet, trombone, tenor saxophone * Jacob Portrait – bass synthesizer 3 "Meshuggah" * Ruban Nielson – all vocals and instruments 4. "The Widow" * Ruban Nielson – guitar, bass, violin, electric piano * Kody Nielson – drums, piano * Chris Nielson – tenor saxophone 5. "In the Rear View" * Ruban Nielson – vocals, guitar * Kody Nielson – drums, piano * Chris Nielson – flutes 6. "That Life" * Ruban Nielson – all vocals and instruments 7. "Layla" * Ruban Nielson – vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizer * Kody Nielson – drums 8. "Shin Ramyun" * Ruban Nielson – guitar, bass, drums * Kody Nielson – piano 9. "Weekend Run" * Ruban Nielson – vocals, guitar, bass, drums * Kody Nielson – piano, clavinet 10. "The Beach" * Ruban Nielson – vocals and all instruments * Kody Nielson – additional vocals 11. "Nadja" * Ruban Nielson – all vocals and instruments 12. "Keaukaha" * Ruban Nielson – guitar * Kody Nielson – electric piano, synthesizer 13. "I Killed Captain Cook" * Ruban Nielson – all vocals and instruments 14. "Drag" * Ruban Nielson – vocals, guitar * Kody Nielson – drums, percussion * Jacob Portrait – bass Other credits * Kody Nielson – additional interstitial piano and synthesizer * Ruban Nielson – production, engineering, mixing, cover *

Bob Ludwig Robert C. Ludwig (born c. 1945) is an American mastering engineer. He has mastered recordings on all the major recording formats for all the major record labels, and on projects by more than 1,300 artists including Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, Qu ...

– mastering * Miles Johnson – layout

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2023 albums Jagjaguwar albums Unknown Mortal Orchestra albums Albums recorded in a home studio