Monomen
s/t
TrustMe
I want badly to give this record an 8 or a 9, though while "Drum of glass", "Neon", and "Lowlife" all convey that nervous energy perfect before a good night out, there is a complete lack of focus on Monomen's self-titled LP. The huge synth rock approach similar to that of fellow Scandinavians Strip Music and 80s champions New Order is bizarrely abandoned for a series of instrumental tracks in the latter half of the album. Why the band thought removing the vocalist's near perfect 80s goth delivery would in any way enhance the record is beyond me. These instrumental compositions are not bad, "Aurora" is even damned good, but the sudden shift in gears detrimentally affects the overall feel and solidity of the album. Luckily, Monomen close with "Lowlife", and much can be forgiven when lost in those final minutes of the record. The "Monomen LP" is a worthy collection of tracks, I just hope that the next records keep the instrumentals, interesting and competent as they are, as b-sides only.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson