Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Múm

They Made Frogs Smoke Til They Exploded

Label: Fat Cat Release Date: 27/08/2007

27037
shain by Shain Shapiro August 30th, 2007

This is anti-music. If I want to dance, this changes in tone, timbre and mood too much to abet that. If I want to sit and ponder the meaning of life within the music, ‘They Made Frogs Smoke Til They Exploded’ becomes utter nonsense in the face of introspection, as the strong vocal melody at work halfway through the track fades into a childish monosyllabic deride that makes about as much sense as flavoured water. In addition, I have no idea what this song, nor its b-side 'The Amateur Show', has to do with frogs, smoke, cooking frogs or amateurs, despite listening to both half a dozen times to try and decode the message. Also, in context of exported music, this sounds like Iceland. Yet, Iceland need not produce deliberately idiosyncratic music, as this is, with its myriad instruments, that. Ideas are appearing and popping into the atmosphere faster than over-filled balloons. I guess I must be missing something, because I reckon things could be simpler, slightly more concise, readable.

Yet, I love the two tracks on offer from Múm’s upcoming full length. Life is not a series of ones and zeros, a straight train track that leads towards something recognizable, at least in some sort of ordinary sense. Instead, life is a black hole; there is no omniscient meaning, unless we demarcate so, as all is in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes life is virtual, a computer game of sorts, and sometimes it is so unpredictable that Second Life becomes realistic. I guess that is why I like Múm and these two songs so much. It is not meant to be explained, just enjoyed, as the ride means just as much as where you end up going.

Video!

  • 7
    Shain Shapiro's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

Brakes

Beatific Visions

Mobback
26999
26351

Figure 5

Nitty Gritty

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    Interview


    Ace of Bass: DiS Meets Royal Blood

  • 97097
  • feature


    DiS meets At the Drive-In

  • 12223

    feature


    A Month in Records: August 2008

  • 33467
  • feature


    Nicky Wire on the press, Shirley Bassey, and th...

  • 50002

    Discography Reassessed


    Oeuvre Here: An 18 Album Voyage Through Ringo S...

  • 100438
  • Interview


    Life, Death and Broken Bells - DiS meets James ...

  • 82768

    In Depth


    Fade to black: DiS meets The Horrors

  • 48012
  • feature


    Radiohead's In Rainbows: the fans' verdict

  • 27997
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND