Momus

Once again, the master of bizarre art-pop has delivered a unique and almost indescribable collection of songs, which he aptly describes as "plastic folk." The alter ego of one Nick Currie, Momus is definitely an acquired taste, as not everyone can appreciate a guy with en eye patch singing witty modern poetic tales with tacky electronic instruments. Perhaps the most telling line of the album is in the song "Mountain Music," where Momus chants, hoedown-style, "ay ay yuppie, digital deck, Johnny Cash, Casio, Dylan and Beck." On Folktronic, the one-eyed wonder Currie gives us his take on folk music, or as he would have you believe, "Japanese country music from the year 2049." Yes, it's a little out there, but it's hard not to appreciate songs like "Finnegan the Folk Hero," especially if you're a member of the tech set. The album's 20 tracks are admittedly hit and miss, but there are some great moments, with lyrical subject matter hitting odd themes such as Jean-Michel Jarre, robo-cowboys, the penis, Palm Pilots and "Lying in the nude with my Apple G4 Cube." Not surprisingly, Folktronic was accompanied by a New York art installation called "Folktronia" and a series of essays available online, of course. Like his Japanese contemporaries Cornelius and Kahimi Karie, Momus pushes the boundaries of what people are willing to accept as music - one suspects he keeps the tongue attached firmly to cheek. Keep in mind that a previous album, Stars Forever, was made up of tracks he wrote for fans who paid 1000 dollars to be immortalised in their own Momus song. His words are what makes him stand out and Folktronic is an excellent example of how there is still hope in a world filled with cookie cutter musical artists in every genre. Call him what you will - poetic deviant, pop provocateur, poseur - one thing's for sure, there's no one quite like Momus.