Mo Troper has got a voice unlike most others. Not solely with his vocal timbre, but also with the way he chooses to convey his thoughts lyrically. With slight cynicism and a sarcastic wit, Troper has become one of the modern maestros of power pop. On his third solo effort Exposure & Response, Troper is definitely exposing and responding to certain facets of the modern music scene, biting commentary a recurring element.
From the first choral "ahhs" that open up the record, "Rock and Roll Will Change the World" is supple and attention grabbing in its Beach Boys qualities, before leading into some of the more sharp tongued tracks on the record. "Your Brand," one of the first songs to come off the record, calls out participation for the sake maintaining aesthetic. "Turn a tragedy into something you can work with/Keep your finger on the pulse that’s in your pocket/Think about your brand" the lyrics go on, truthful of so many players in the scene. As is "The Poet Laureate of Neverland," which tells of elder hipsters that just don’t know how to let it go.
At points, Exposure and Response trades its snarkiness for cheekiness. "Freebin" and "Clear Frames" describe millennial Portland romance perfectly, the former relating the receptacle of choice for old love and old clothes alike being the freebin, and the latter a nod at the bad familiarity of similar looks between current and bygone relatioship partners.
Exposure and Response is a fetching ode to the nostalgic finesse of rock and power pop’s past. Its charm and sass packed into short bursts of songs