Spun: Pop Levi

By Lewis Park

Pop Levi definitely gets points for originality. His debut album The Return to Form Black Magick Party marks a bold solo debut for the ex-Ladytron bassist. It’s obvious that Levi wants people to take notice of him with this album, and he does so many things right that there’s a pretty good chance they will. Imagine someone with enough flamboyance to make Prince cringe, who also happens to be the world’s biggest fan of “I Am The Walrus,” and you’ll get the idea.

Despite the album’s excessive weirdness, it manages to remain painfully catchy. In essence it’s a pop record. The songs aren’t particularly complex in their arrangement, and, at times, it can run too long and become repetitive. Levi’s oddball presence helps keep things interesting, while the simplicity with which he approaches each song and the irresistibly sweet melodies are the album’s greatest strengths. The beats in most songs are simple enough that they could be broken down to simple hand claps–multiple songs on the album don’t even feature drums. For the casual listener, though, this will only add to its catchyness, making sure the songs will be stuck in your head for days.