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American Guilt
Rock · 2018

American Guilt

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

A heavy, distorted pivot for the project, trading soul-funk for a blown-out garage rock stomp fueled by social frustration and massive fuzz.

January 23, 2018 · Jagjaguwar

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American Guilt represents a jarring, intentional departure from the shimmering, disco-inflected textures of Unknown Mortal Orchestra's previous work. It sounds like a transmission from a crumbling empire, captured on a tape recorder that has been left out in the sun too long. The central guitar riff is massive and ugly in the best way possible, leaning into a garage-rock aggression that feels more aligned with stoner rock or proto-punk than the band's usual psych-pop leanings. It is a song that demands to be played loud, specifically to hear the way the production seems to buckle under its own weight.

Moments Worth Listening For
the opening riff that sounds like a speaker cone physically tearing under the pressure of the fuzz
the sudden shift into a more melodic, soaring chorus that cuts through the dense wall of noise
the way the drums feel like they are clipping the master fader during the bridge section
the final descent into a chaotic spiral of feedback and distorted guitar textures
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does American Guilt sound next to the rest of Unknown Mortal Orchestra's catalogue?

Defiant+4.0σ

Defiant saturates this record far more than the artist's norm.

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