5 out of 5

Label: Tzadik

Produced by: JG Thirlwell

I know JG Thirlwell isn’t an unknown by any means, but setting aside the cacophony of the first few Foetus releases, and maybe the fact that he operated under names like Foetus, and… and Manorexia I guess also isn’t the most inviting name…

Hm, well, I was gonna question why Thirlwell isn’t more famous, with name recognition on the level of, say, Trent Reznor, but maybe I answered that question in part already. Still, I get that Thirlwell’s stuff can for sure be weird, but it’s also – as Foetus, Steroid Maximus – so, so catchy, and lush, and then when he decides to give one of his more experimental projects a gorgeous, affecting orchestral overhaul, completely transforming some of his less accessible works into grand, emotional swells, I’m not sure why it’s not a permanent fixture on any music fan’s shelf, assuming they venture even a step outside of mainline pop and rap (and even then…)

Mesopelagic waters are the surface layer that transitions from light to darkness. While that is a fitting description of this album’s slide from somewhat quirkier selections to weightier, morose compositions, that doesn’t counter how enjoyable the record is on the whole, with its “depths” just a different shade of contemplation – the brain is less flighty; it’s more focused. The tunes here comprise selections from the first two Manorexia albums, expertly sequenced and arranged for piano, strings, and percussion -played by some Thirlwell associates, with JG adding additional ambience via keys and samples – such that this doesn’t have some of the flourished overreach of other JG band / orchestral arrangements, but rather feels narrowed to perfection: just the notes and affectations are needed. At the same time, its sound is absolutely absorbing, from start to finish.

I could go on with superlatives, but let it suffice to say that this is, perhaps, one of the most balanced records of JG’s career, carrying some of the same thrill of his “cinematic” scores like Ventures Bros., but boiled down to a more palatable (for the masses) mood, though wholly retaining the outsider charm of the artist’s work overall thanks to its unique pacing, and juxtapositions of “sharp” moments against softer melodies. Finally: it feels like it tells a full story from start to finish. There are a lot of Thirlwell projects that I want to push on people as must listens; Mesopelagic is less discerning: you can put it on and people will come to it.