ALBUM REVIEW: MOUTH MOODS - NEIL CICIEREGA

By Cíara Dempsey | Feb 23 2017

NEIL Cicierega has been around since the earliest, weirdest days of the internet. From “Potter Puppet Pals”, which he created nearly a decade ago, to early YouTube memes like “Brodyquest”, you’ve likely encountered his warped sense of humour before.Mouth Moods is the third in a series of mashup albums Cicierga has released since 2014. By far his best, this record does not rely on nostalgia alone for its appeal. Through creative and sometimes shocking combinations, Mouth Moods manages to achieve moments of pure pop bliss – its familiarity is merely how it gets its hooks in.The bargain-bin pop tunes that Cicierga unearths for use on this record are given new life. 'Floor Corn' takes 'Bodies' by Drowning Pool, a notorious nu-metal relic, and warps it into a pop ear-worm on top of Hot Butter’s ‘Popcorn’, while 'The End' sees Linkin Park over a funky Doobie Brother instrumental, the result somehow immediately danceable.Mouth Moods also manages to carry real emotional weight at times. A triumphant urgency animates 'T.I.M.E.', which sees The Village People’s 'Y.M.C.A.' placed over the Inception soundtrack, uncovering a dark social awareness in the original’s lyrics that is often overlooked.It’s the surprises, the many twists and turns throughout that make Mouth Moods such a joy to listen to. You never know when Smash Mouth’s 'All Star' or 'One Week' by the Barenaked Ladies will sneak up on you – but when they do, you’ll definitely laugh.In A Nutshell: Mouth Moods splices together pop songs from the past in the strangest of ways, yet somehow, it’s all a match made in heaven.