Funky bass and hi-hats lead us into the seductively intimate groove of Monstrous‘ latest two-track EP You Want More.
The opener is the title-piece and offers precisely that – funk and smooth jazz united across an organic yet fully loaded plain of warmth and atmospheric detail.
Follow it up with a lower-toned, sultry vocal, quietly-mixed to incite that desire to listen more closely for the lyrics, and You Want More is off to a hypnotic start.
Ultimately there’s plenty of angst and even scorn to You Want More, the warm and colourful presentation somewhat juxtaposed by grittier lyrics. To my memory, contrast is a keen quality of the Monstrous sound throughout releases, and here we’re welcomed into this concept of mis-matched emotions with fine musicianship and hopeful redirection.
At Your Best follows, a piano-lead freely meandering in the sidelines, whilst a relentless kick rhythm and that unmistakeable voice provide threads of consistency and simplicity throughout.
The soundscape gathers momentum, an almost surf-ready energy at its peak, and still fragments of dissonance appear between instruments to really bring home a sense of intrigue and artistry unconfined by genre or expectation. The voice is brief, fleeting, minimalist, yet still unmistakable as it falls in and out of the mix.
Just less than seven minutes of escapism but a worthy journey regardless – enchanting and humble by design, very easy to connect with. The music and writing feels both incredibly personal yet relatable; authentically human yet ready to be made your own.
Check out Monstrous via Bandcamp.
