Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Sex & Food
notes on vinyl, vices, and the virtues of life
true to my word, i am glad to share that my Unknown Mortal Orchestra collection is up to date. the Sex & Food vinyl i ordered has arrived — albeit a little later than expected as the album’s 5th anniversary was on 4/6. better late than never!
musically, Sex & Food highlights the hallmarks of psychedelic rock and leans more into the genres that make up the personalized UMO blend: think blues on “The Internet of Love (That Way),” the R&B influence of “How Many Zeros,” the haunting rock lullaby quality of “If You’re Going to Break Yourself,” or the subtle feeling of punk across the whole record.
while this revisit may have been a little delayed chronologically, it was right on time for me emotionally. it gave me much to sit with, process, and analyze.
when i think of this album’s title, i consider the pleasures, pain, and possibilities of vices. of sometimes not being able to deal with reality in a concrete way so you emote through an external and/or abstract form — via art, media, substances, perhaps even other people, etc. the ability to either lose or find aspects of yourself in someone or something else.
i’m reflecting on this heavily as i deal with various levels of grief. i find myself attempting to face it, yet simultaneously looking for ways to process outside of myself after i’ve circled the drain of thoughts about existence and mortality.
it’s easy to get lost in vices and obsessions when things get way too real. even music can offer a vehicle to escapism. but more often than not, my experience has been that music can be a salve for your soul and provide messages when you hear the right song at the right time. such a track that has resonated with me in this way is “American Guilt” from the album in discussion.
i belt the lyrics often (to no one in particular) — there’s something cathartic about it as i think about greed. or the state of surveillance, healthcare, and denial.
“Oh no here it comes, the American guilt”
though Sex & Food was released 5 years ago, i can gauge upon relistening how its themes speak to ongoing philosophical conversations that are increasingly relevant now. for instance, “Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays” reminds me of a delusion to persist despite our collective and personal grief. this rising emotional debt that we owe to ourselves, the inevitable, unbearable task of processing what the f**k the last few years have actually been like!!
i’ve also been reflecting on the fine line between a passionate interest and a vice, while accepting that we all process things differently. it’s a very fine line though, so fine that it’s hard to keep it straight.
like, what does it mean to experience a glimpse of lucidity and realize the moment you’ve been entertaining is actually just a substance-induced tempation à la “Not In Love, We’re Just High?”
Sex & Food is fairly known due to the success of the undeniably catchy single “Hunnybee.” on its surface, this earworm is playful, but it really hones in on the contemplation of the album overall. the duality of bees producing something as delightful as honey, while being capable of stinging as a defense. such is the nature of life to constantly be confronted with the duality of binaries and the fluidity of spectrums. the intuitive capability of seeing things on more than one level all at once.
life provides us with so many abundant opportunities to embrace this fluidity. to float between realms and ways of being. to see a moment for what it is and have the ability to fall completely apart. to be unafraid to put yourself back together, even if in a different shape. but i digress.
there’s a unique quality and gift that the musicians of UMO possess in order to say what needs to be said, without having to always spell it out for you. to create a record that sounds sonically positive and also makes you think about the depth of it all without trying too hard. or maybe i’m just really in my head.
either way, i think this is what makes UMO one of my favorite bands of all time. across the discography, there’s a song for nearly every moment. the emotional wavelength of the music is nuanced enough to soundtrack one’s life. that’s why i come back to this music often.
for continuity’s sake, here’s the complete UMO record collection:
honestly, it feels good to complete this 3-part series. in addition to the vinyl, i also got a candle from UMO’s Bandcamp merch page. the artwork on the candle’s glass displays my #1 pastry of choice: donuts. so maybe upon burning the candle, i will invoke some more sweetness into my life. perhaps some momentary relief from steeping in bittersweetness.