Chicago trio Lazer Crystal indulge themselves on the highly conceptual MCMLXXX. That's not surprising from a band whose mission statement reads, in part: "to present a multi-colored, polyphonic surf of sound and vision, set to the ritual nocturnal vibrations of its arsenal." And yet, despite some occasionally worrying signs, Lazer Crystal successfully keep MCMLXXX from descending into academic navel-gazing.
Though they are keen to keep the entities separate, two of three Lazer Crystal members are also part of weirdo collective Mahjongg. The connection is a useful starting point since Lazer Crystal employ many of the same elements-- skulking synths, skittering beats, and warped vocals-- to create uniquely disorienting music. But where Mahjongg's albums can feel organic, thanks to occasional dashes of afro pop and dance-punk, MCMLXXX floats in outer orbit, broadcasting a glimpse of a bizarre, imagined future in which a 1980s corporate training video soundtrack is as legitimate a musical influence as Neu! or Can. The approach sometimes leads them astray-- such as on the space oddity jazzercise workout "Catch the Wave"-- but the wide net they cast can also pay off. Standout "Love Rhombus" nicely offsets its lethargic thump with a cavalcade of arcade game-like effects, while the acid-house meltdown of "Bad Indian" recalls some nightmarish road trip.
For all its unusual, seemingly desultory instrumentation, at its core, MCMLXXX is a pop album. Though Lazer Crystal are more than willing to stick their necks out to see their vision through (see the sprawling nine-minute closer "2029"), they rarely do so at the expense of structure. If MCMLXXX is less audacious than the band's mission statement would suggest, the ideas are more engaging and palatable. The album may fall short of its creators' lofty goals, but this is one failure that ought to be congratulated. It's a rare conceptual piece that's actively more enamored of the audience than itself.
