Monowhales – Daytona Bleach (TRUE Records)
Release Date: Out Now
I think Canadian trio Monowhales
might be my new favourite band and their punchy album, ‘Daytona Bleach’, is a
big part of that newfound love. This seven-track collection is short, to the
point and rolling around in pop-rock hooks like a lottery winner who took it
all in cash. The album opens with ‘All or Nothing’ (a great sentiment to start
with), a song which struts in with a huge riff, powerful vocals and the kind of
chorus that would work at any point in the last 40 years in terms of getting
your crowd pumped up and bouncing in time. Latest single ‘He Said/She Said (I
Wait)’ is more of a grinding disco-rock number with influences from LadyHawke to
Goldfrapp with Scissor Sisters and Replubica on production duties.
‘BL/FF (Fake Friends)’ opens with
the line “We’re better lovers than fake friends” sung with attitude and
confidence while the melody bubbles under the surface before erupting for
another catchy and instantly fun chorus. On ‘Out With The Old’ the band really
hit their stride and find the perfect balance between pop and rock, sweet and
sour, hard and soft, power and control. ‘RWLYD (Really Wanna Let You Down)’
sounds like a CeeLo Green track written for Paloma Faith with a sense of
performance and style running through every note and beat. Similarly, the stomp
of ‘Over My Head’ has a theatrical element to it that would work well in a film
about a spy who uses cunning, guile and anything to hand to catch her prey.
The album finishes (all too soon)
on ‘I Don’t Think About U’ which keeps the pace well as the guitars chime out
and those powerful vocals don’t pull any punches. There is no fat on this
album, no slowed down tracks for ‘atmosphere’ and no unnecessary cover
versions. It’s just banger after banger after banger and, right now, I’m
thinking this has a very good chance of being in the final reckoning for album
of the year at the end of 2021. Right, I’m going back for another listen…
More information: https://www.facebook.com/MONOWHALES
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