Mono sound
E. A Solinas | MD USA | 03/26/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"British pop duo Mono bring a sad, sweet sensibility to "Formica Blues," their first (and apparently only) album. It only narrowly avoids being bubblegum electronica. Instead it's a vaguely retro trip-hop collection with wistful vocals and melancholy little songs.
A low, thumping bass line pulls into the twittery trip-hop of "Life in Mono," a catchy but unmemorable little song. The tone shifts with the slightly ominous, poppy "Silicone" and the keyboard-led ballad "Slimcea Girl." The album bobs along with songs like the dramatic ("Outsider," the jazzy trip-hop "Blind Man") and the fluffy trip-hop ("Disney Town," pretty little "High Life"), before wrapping up with the bouncy, smoky "Hello Cleveland" and the Alice Band mix of "Life in Mono" with horns and drums.
If an album has "blues" in the title, it's a fair bet that there's something downbeat about it. "Formica Blues" avoids being actually depressing -- it's more the depression of someone who has had their heart broken, and is dealing with it by browsing quaint stores in Europe, smoking in loft apartments and painting little pictures. Sad, but in a way that heals. ("The tree-lined avenue/Begins to fade from view/Drowning past regrets/In tea and cigarettes")
The music itself is a web of keyboards, guitar, "wicked tambourine," and trumpets. Siobhan De Mare's breathy vocals are a nice touch; they're wispy but pretty. And the songwriting is most solid when it focuses on heartbreak, as in "Slimcea Girl" and "Life in Mono." When a more upbeat tone is taken ( as in "Disney Town" and "High Life") the vocals seem to be flatter, and the melodies merely sound like downtempo bubblegum pop. Fortunately, they don't stay in happy territory for long.
With a bit of retro-60s flavor and a bit of acid jazz mixed in, Mono's "Formica Blues" is an ethereal little Euro-trip-hop album. It won't heal a broken heart, but it's nice to listen to as you start to get over it."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1