Monocle - Outer Sunset

Monocle is a dreamy synth-pop band from New York that has nailed a sound that is airy and unrestrained one moment and dark and mildly claustrophobic the next. I'm not saying that as a bad thing. They follow in the footsteps of bands like Broadcast and Stereolab in providing a soundtrack that prefers to settle in your subconscious as opposed to tap dancing in front of you with a cane and top hat.

I suppose keyboardist and visionary Rich Bennett is the ring leader of sorts, writing most of the songs and somewhat brainstorming the band in the first place. Sunny Kim's vocals are what give this band such a soothing vibe. Rounding out the band is Matt Fuller playing the engaging guitar riffs, Dan Shuman on bass and Max Goldman on drums.

I find it most interesting how I seem to get lost in their songs. They'll be sort of playing in the background and then suddenly my face will light up with the realization that "Air Phase," for example, is simply amazing. "Wave Goodbye" is another standout. It has a steady keyboard riff throughout, but then it also has all these other keyboard melodies entering in and out of the proceedings at different intervals. The guitar also jumps in and out for mere seconds at a time, while the bass and drums really provide the backbone of what makes the song so outstanding. I realize that my description makes it sound like a progressive rock masterpiece but it's not. It's a totally accessible and brilliant pop song. How do they do that? Don't know. Chalk it all up to an amazing chemistry I suppose. I could go on and on about some of the other songs as well, whether it's the slight french pop of "Emmanuelle" or the mysterious intergalactic spy movie sound of "Music of Space" but overall it's just safest to say that this is a very good release by an up and coming new band.

Monocle is currently signed to Hidden Shoal Recordings, the label that gave us one of my favorite new discoveries: The Hero Cycle (have you bought their EP yet? C'mon, you really should.) On their roster they also feature a whole whack of ambient artists (some I really like, others, meh.)

Stream: Every song on Outer Sunset can be streamed here.
Myspace: Monocle
Purchase: Outer Sunset at Hidden Shoal Recordings