Full disclosure right from the jump: Mo Troper frequently contributes to the Mercury. But I donât know the guyâweâve never communicated. So with a clear conscience and no conflict of interest, I can tell you that his new album, Exposure and Response, is an exquisite example of classic, well-crafted power pop. Itâs the best work of Troperâs career, and one of the very best albums to come out of Portland (or anywhere else) in 2017.
His last proper full-length, 2016âs Beloved, is also very good. Itâs packed end-to-end with melodies so strong and memorable, they consistently rise above the rest of the recordâs fuzzed-out bash ânâ pop din. It sounds like a super-skilled songwriter sailing through a mid-fi sea of crash cymbals.
By comparison, Exposure and Response is a luxury yacht slicing across open waters toward the sunset. Troperâs melodies still soar, but now theyâre captured more clearly and surrounded by sumptuous arrangements, often including horn and string sections. The opening track, âRock and Roll Will Change the World,â begins with a dazzling chorus of âaahsâ that could live credibly inside any Beach Boys song.
âRock and Rollâ runs just under a minute and a half long, the first of many short bursts on the album. âThe Customerâ lasts 72 seconds and sounds like half an acoustic Weezer demo (which is a good thing). âFreebinâ makes heartbreak feel hopeful, and blossoms into perfection in its second minute. âWeddingâ spends a minute approximating Of Montreal doing a love song, barbershop quartet-style.
Sprinkled among these shorties are Exposure and Responseâs highest highlights: âDictator Out of Work,â an anthem for the downtrodden with a regal trumpet line and a thrilling coda; âYour Brand,â a razor-sharp takedown of industry greed with a symphonic backbone; and âThe Poet Laureate of Neverland,â a horn-heavy meditation on the stunted growth of the entitled artist. When Troper stretches out is when his cynical streak really shines through. And cynicism never sounded so sweet.