Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ Santa Monica Pier

Previewed for LA Weekly:

Unknown Mortal Orchestra at Twilight Concert Series at Santa Monica Pier

Having an additional person in your marriage is generally frowned upon, but Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Nielson has gottenen viable mileage out of his polyamorous relationship. The group’s last album, the descriptively titled Multi-Love, tells the story of the dissolution of his unconventional setup. Who knew that would translate to a psychedelic yet soulful combination whose buoyancy overrides the misery-laced lyrics More recently, Nielson shrugged off the self-pity bycontributing a super-funky Unknown Mortal Orchestra cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street” to the hefty Day of the Dead tribute benefit compilation. Nielson’s sassy falsetto and self-involvement are back—along with a blazing horn section—on UMO’s latest disco-flecked single,“First World Problem.”

Listen to “First World Problem” via SoundCloud.