It strikes me as a little weird that so many offshoots of punk and hardcore music – the diverse subgenres that sprouted in the creative and open environment of 80s and 90s independent music – come back to root in pop-punk. Equally it’s not weird at all; it takes a hard-edged person to dislike the warm melodic hooks and upbeat pace that are the typical characteristics of pop-punk.
Monument are torch-bearers for twinkly 90s US emo; inspired most obviously by bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and the whimsical Cap’n Jazz, today their contemporaries include Everything Everywhere – in fact, I think the two bands just finished a US tour together.
The song ‘Roots Run Deep’ demonstrates these various characteristics; throaty half-hoarse vocals sung over a catchy, toe-tapping rhythm; sustained vocal harmonies in the chorus; twin guitars with distinct and complimentary tones; even a moment where horns are thrown in and the song disintegrates into a squall of noisy fun. The buzzier rhythm guitar has something of a classic sound to it; I’d guess at minimal production, intended to allow the character of the instrument and amplifier to emerge more clearly. The lead pops out through its delicious, twinkling, sweet sound, but never dominates proceedings – on the whole, Monument are significantly less prone to noodling than emo-esque contemporaries Grown Ups, although there’s still plenty of fretboard work on display – as in ‘Glass House’, which follows. This tune is tamer and more restrained, but its melodies still spill out fast and sweet around vocal-led moments and some fine gang chants.
Other highlights include ‘No Sleep, All Play’, build around a lush yet oddball rhythm and melody that recalls the almost mathy songwriting of Braid; with unexpectedly precise and faintly jarring tonal shifts between notes the song is subtly unpredictable. I concede, however, that this is much more difficult to make out when not using earbuds; without them, it’s a twisty and entertaining piece with typically warm melodies and a chorus which perhaps overdoes the staccato chug on the rhythm guitar. In contrast ‘This is 113′ complements its rhythmic stomp well, with steady downstrokes underpinning simple yet effective climbing lead licks, and later a transition to simple lead on the rhythm and more complex riffs from the lead.
‘Breakfast’ is unexpectedly – given the title – rather darker-sounding, with some trem guitar and delay predictably contributing toward that. It opens in a very mellow manner, with a simple root-note bassline and gang vocals, but after about nine minutes blooms into life. Elsewhere there are songs that initially feel like filler but later charm with some particular lush instrumental components – I’m speaking here of ‘I’ve Got Some Plans’.
Monument have carved out their own spot in the post-post-emo environment; it’s a space constructed from a ragtag assortment of tricks, techniques and styles devised by bands who came before, but the band nonetheless establish a clear identity of their own. I would say they lack the character and pure musical charisma of outfits like Castevet and Growns Ups - two of my favourites bands, in fairness, so the bar is set rather high – but they have their own thing going, and it’s going well. One to watch.
Bandcamp | Tiny Engines Records