Monkton: Rerererererererereeeee

There’s a lot to cover here so let’s get down to business -

Re: RE: A spot of hype-mongering
Re: Soundbites - this is what my week sounded like

1) ‘M&S bluegrass’? Now there’s a quote the Mumford & Sons won’t be using in a hurry. That said, it’s an improvement on what you said about ‘Tesco Value Joanna Newsom’, which I think Regina took as something of an insult. But then I don’t see Ys on the supermarket shelves, so valid point all in all.

And the album itself? Yep, it is lovely to hear mmmmmfrd and sons in high fidelity. Swell even, which is certainly the word because that’s what Sigh No More does - it swells and thunders, irresistibly folking its way through life - and for all its hearrrrtfelt harmony and hootnannying we should be grateful. I’m another listen short of a real opinion, but so far so good…

2) I very much like what your week sounded like. ‘I Say Fever’ is quite simply hugependous, hitched up to the galleries as it is by dirty hooks, earth-moving reverb and Shirley Bassey theatrics - only matched by a first peak at Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, who may be the first band in a while to handle twee with anything close to genuine edginess. Love it.

3) And so, as something of an exchange, here’s what my week is probably going to sound like:

i. Nat Baldwin.

To be true, this one goes way back, but having finally remembered to get hold of Most Valuable Player, it could well be worthwhile posting it up, especially seeing as the album seems to have drifted rather into the ether. When he’s not tipping a paper hat to Arthur Russell, Nat Baldwin can be found sounding the bass in experimental troupe Dirty Projectors - and though you may have first heard him churning out charming noises in an advertising campaign for Orange, he’s more recently upped his four stringed bow to dizzier heights. Not that enough people have taken notice since this record came out in 2008… That’s the bloody avant-garde for you. Who’s ever ready for it??

MP3: ‘Lake Erie’ - Nat Baldwin

ii. Delorean.

From out of those vertically zzzzhhmming doors comes the effervescent dance pop of Delorean, which may at points remind of you of the kind of lushness that sky-rocketed Passion Pit up the album charts, but then there’s also a slightly creepy throwback to 90s feel-good house going on in there. Creepy because the last time I heard music of that kind it was probably backing a montage of 1995’s top Premiership goals. Excuses made, here goes -

MP3: ‘Seasun’ - Delorean

iii.

I’m going to have to sign off here, as this is where my knowledge of roman numerals ends, but I wouldn’t take a bow without giving you a taste of múm - errrrrrrr - who have made some new noise art since the aforementioned Finally We Are No One. Most likely described as ‘happy-clappy’ or, perhaps, ‘embarassingly-candid-about-things-like-breast-feeding’, they’ve taken a turn for the joyful with Sing Along to Songs You Don’t Know. But then it would be wrong to use real words to describe this music…

MP3: ‘Hullaballabalú’ -  Múm

Monkton x