The progression of my opinion on V over the last week or so matches the Roman numeral itself. Will the 13th letter of the alphabet be more accurate in a few days? We shall see. What I can say is that while the latest from Unknown Mortal Orchestra does not match Multi-Love, no slight given how highly I regard their 2015 offering, it is a step above the previous Sex & Food.

V  is undoubtedly a Ruban Nielson affair, one in which he seems comfortable and confident, leading to a product that can serve as both background music and a little intellectual nourishment. It's enjoyable, otherwise I wouldn't bother with it here, but perhaps the known aspect of it makes it a safe choice and continuation of previous works as opposed to the unique sounds realized earlier in his career.