Why?

Mumps, Etc. (Anticon)

Why? is someone’s favorite band. Over four LPs, Yoni Wolf’s Oakland-based quartet has built up a dedicated congregation for its obtuse blend of indie rock groove and alt-rap naval gazing. Wolf tells stories in mysterious ways, making you giggle, squirm, and philosophize. Mumps, Etc. offers his most unfocused entry yet, but it still leaves a substantial footprint. “I’d prefer to be some unknown with a sports car/Than pen the dumb pun poems as a poor star,” he flips on “Waterlines.” It’s just like Wolf to casually bury his entire legacy in the moments before a song about afflicted hedonism. Things get more unattached, schizophrenic; Mumps is an album without a clear answer. Wolf’s going through girl and drug problems, but he can’t liberate himself. It’s a process, not a product – frustratingly inarticulate when it matters most. (Sat., Orange stage, 3:35pm)

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This article appears in November 2 • 2012.

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