I'm all for keeping it real. As shelf-picked rockstar personas seem to impress more easily than sincerity and unpretentiousness, any artist who seeks to let his work speak for itself has to deal with the distinct possibility of his music going unnoticed. As the number of records being released monthly increases at a seemingly exponential rate, being a musician without a gimmick (even if it is a weak, done-to-death gimmick) means running the risk of getting lost in the shuffle.
Ryan Kidwell (aka Rjyan, aka Cex) isn't one to let his music speak for itself. Cex's live show has, in recent years, developed into one of the single most entertaining spectacles I've ever experienced. Lots of performers manipulate their onstage personas to make themselves appear more interesting or more mysterious. But the true brilliance of Kidwell's show is that his whole act seems totally sincere. Playing equal parts mad rapper and welcoming host, Kidwell drops tight, witty, and endearing rhymes about balls, bicycles, and "Bad Dudes" over skittery beats, peppered with clever between-song banter ("This next song has some violins-- an instrument invented by Radiohead").
So, in the interest of keeping it real, I'll say I'm pretty disappointed by Oops, I Did It Again. The Cex I saw in concert was a truly original entertainer, putting the best parts of his personality to work for him. The Cex I hear on Oops, I Did It Again sounds like he's trying to incorporate a pretty wide spectrum of influences with the fun IDM that's been the bread and butter of his career this far. And while the result is certainly well executed, it lacks the personality that makes Cex such an appealing character in the first place.
For the most part, Oops, I Did It Again is relatively standard IDM fare, with a much greater focus on rhythm than on melody. Most of the sounds on the album have already been used hundreds of times-- chopped-up drum samples, synthesizers with sweeping filters and the occasional odd bit of noise. The beats that make up the core of Oops, I Did It Again are certainly top-notch-- at this point, there's no question that Kidwell knows how to put together a song. The problem is, there isn't much on Oops, I Did It Again that's particularly riveting. Take the warm acoustic guitars that fill out "(You're) Off the Food Chain," a track that sounds almost like the Microphones. Elements like these are never really integrated, and all are worked into similarly deliberate, repetitive song structures.
In concert, Cex's rhythmically interesting and consistently amusing rhymes bring his music to life. Far too much of this record is simply boring. It's a testament to Cex's inherent talent that the most uninteresting and typical aspects of Oops, I Did It Again are also the ones that seem the most forced.
