Say Hi To Your Mom:

Ferocious Mopes

(Euphobia)

Eric Elbogen won’t show his face in photographs. The singer/songwriter/bedroom producer behind Say Hi To Your Mom is notoriously shy about revealing anything about himself beyond his birth name. He certainly has a right to privacy, but when he fires off elaborate allegories against Pitchfork for panning his albums, he’d better have the tunes to justify his smoke-and-mirrors relationship with the public.

Unfortunately, Ferocious Mopes isn’t half as interesting as his press antics. His last two records yielded some charming synth-pop perfect for one-upping friends on the mixtape circuit, but Ferocious Mopes gets the wind knocked out of it somewhere between the minimalist drag of “Yeah, I’m in Love With an Android” and the saccharine imagery of “Mosquitos in the Stucco.” Even if you’ve got a taste for Elbogen’s particular brand of sci-fi preciousness, the songs themselves are missing the spark and affection that makes pop music work. “Poor Pete Is a Bit Self Conscious” picks up the pace to nice effect, but the majority of the record feels listless compared to the energy Elbogen invests in his extra-musical efforts.

www.sayhitoyourmom.com

5 Blips out of 10

By August Brown

8/2005