Crawdaddy! The Magazine of Rock

múm
November 5th at the Independent, San Francisco

Once múm took the stage at the Independent, it didn’t take long before the effects of their sonic prowess could be felt. By the time they fully opened up, spread their wings, and established their gentle grasp, gravity seemed to dissipate and a warm current rolled over all of us as we bore witness to the wonders of sheer relaxation.

Though the Icelandic outfit has endured a number of lineup changes and some shifts to their sound since their formation in ’97, they proved that they remain fully capable of creating mood-enhancing music that both captivates and quells. To get there, múm—pronounced similarly to what a cow might say while gathering its thoughts (moom)—utilized a unique array of instruments and vocal combinations that were rarely the same for two consecutive songs. Melodicas—mini-keyboards blown into by the player that are rarely seen in an average set-up—were present for the entirety of the show, used by various members. Stringed instruments of just about every shape and size imaginable also dominated the field, and the two major elements formed the main base around which the other pieces flowed.

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