People of Punk Rock Records – 10 Dec 2021
It’s not IF you can out-Green Day Green Day (that’s the easy part), but how much you out-Green Day Green Day
…and, by golly, Monkey Mind does it in spades. The band, which hails from Newcastle upon Tyne (yes, where the brown ale comes from), is comprised of members of Toy Dolls, Crashed Out, and The Panic Report. For those unfamiliar (shame on you), this means that there are decades upon decades of combined music experience funneled into this act, and their veteran status shines through on their debut, self-titled release.
So, yeah… I mentioned Green Day at the top. Why? Well, because this album reminds me of when Green Day was fun. They were energetic. They didn’t give a damn. A time before they went full “November Rain” with “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” Think Kerplunk! or Dookie, but with the great sound and production of the latter, and the vibrancy and excitement of the former. But the big difference is that, even with Dookie, Green Day was still a fairly young band with the benefit of major label bucks to make an album. Monkey Mind simply does it better with, probably, a lot less money. If I had to hazard a guess, this is due to the years of experience they can put into the pot and mix into the perfect stew.
That’s not to say Monkey Mind is a Green Day clone. Not by any means. Sure, the pop punk energy is there in spades (and I’m referring here to early pop punk, not some the current crop which has a more of arena, anthemic sound [sometimes with emo vocals?]), and there’s still that English approach to punk that’s a bit more in-your-face, but there’s a lot of guitar work that give this album more of an edge. Some more truly melodic punk songs can really drive, and drive hard. The track “Something About Lauren” features some surprisingly metal-ish riffs and a bit of a ripping solo that would feel just right as filler on an 80’s Poison song… and there are more songs that dip into that cookie jar.
Another pop punk staple that Monkey Mind does terribly well is straddle the line between poppy but earnest and heartfelt, even somewhat corny, love songs split amongst some really oddball and silly songs. “Mr. Wright,” “Get Rid Ov Him,” and “She’s a High Vibration” contrast with the aforementioned “Girl in a Jar” and the stupidly catchy (and too good for its own good) “Buddy Love (A Spaniard’s Tail).” The band mixes an almost perfect cocktail across thirteen songs.
Now’s about the point where I level some criticism on the album and, you know what? I ain’t got much on that front. I guess, if anything, Monkey Mind aren’t really breaking any new ground as much as they are perfecting what is already there. In that sense, the album isn’t terribly stacked with innovation, as I’m sure most of us have heard what’s going on here in parts, bits, and pieces over the last 30 years or so. But what Monkey Mind does is pull it all together into a single package that should put a smile on the face of even the most hardened of punk critics.
It’s a good time that won’t be denied. The musicianship and composition are spot on, the production is solid (lots of nice solid bass guitar and kick drum) and, at thirteen songs, it’s not over too quick, nor does it wear out its welcome.
I’ll just say this much: halfway through try first listen of the album, I knew I had found another addition to my 2021 “Best of…” list.
the white drew carey (aka – Jeff Sorley) is the founder and head editor of TGEFM. He’s lived (outside of) Chicago, Madison WI, (ugh) Penn State, Lyon FR, Oxford UK, central New Jersey, and now within earshot of SFO in the Bay Area. When not scouring the web for more great bands and labels to post about, he also spends time drawing (mostly) silly sci-fi and anime stuff under the name Asplenia Studios.
