Black Moth Super Rainbow
Cobra Juicy
(Rad Cult)

Increasingly more these days, artists seem to be crowdsourcing in order to put out their albums. Pittsburgh’s strange electro rockers, Black Moth Super Rainbow, raised more than $125,000 for Cobra Juicy, with backers receiving perks like latex masks, prank calls, and lifetime guest list access. But how does the record stand up to the rewards?

For the most part, pretty well. There’s an affable contrast between the distorted, growling vocals and the often beautiful, vaguely psychedelic music in the background. Cobra Juicy will often have you dancing, even if you’re not quite certain what you’re dancing to.

There are times when the album missteps though. One of the record’s clearest songs, “Like a Sundae,” falls short when the lyrics are audible enough to make out. “I can see myself being with yourself” just doesn’t hit home as far as lyrics go, especially when tracks like “Hairspray Heart” are much more clever with the dreamy, distorted brag of “I can hypnotize you.”

“Windshield Smasher” has a fun 80’s beat, and a clapping interlude in “Gangs in the Garden” is irresistible. However, I found myself zoning out on the latter part of the record. Cobra Juicy could use a bit more salacious bite or a bit more accessibility. As it stands, it settles in the middle and probably just appeals to its current base rather than expanding to new listeners.