Insight & Critique
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact

mona feel - sun diving

1/23/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Mona Feel

Sun Diving 
self-released; 2013

3.8 out of 5

By Demiera Harris
One of the things that might surprise you when listening to Mona Feel’s debut EP Sun Diving is the amount of polish and compositional skill present, as well as the chemistry between parts; this sounds like the work of a band who has been together for years, not months. This is a true indie rock album that maintains the band’s signature sound throughout but leaves plenty of room for expansion and musical creativity.

Right away, you find that “Sun Diving” has a fun, funky beach beat. The vocalist does a good job jumping from midrange to higher notes and back again – making it sound effortless. The chords sound relatively simple but still provide a great foundation for the vocals, and the drums correspond well with the song, being sure not to stick to just one generic rhythm.

“Dustball” starts off more eerily, relying heavily on nuanced background noise to create the atmosphere. The vocal notes are lower as well, which are perfect for the mood. The low, heavy sound continues with the beginning of “Hard to Say” in moments that bring to mind feelings of quiet desperation, sadness, and the will to run away. The rest of the song, however, seems to be the answer to those feelings by providing a hopeful, encouraging outside perspective. This is an example of great storytelling in music, and shows how just a few guitar notes can effectively shape your perception of a particular song.

“Hands Untied” expands on the previous use of mood setting, relying on just the vocals this time with subtle background notes to get the song started. There is impressive guitar work here, with brief glances at a deliciously technical riff throughout. You almost want this sound to continue throughout the whole song, though its impact is arguably more pronounced in small doses. The intensity picks up as the drums join in, giving the pace a more steady march, then fades away just as smoothly as it started.

“Walkabout”, the last and shortest song on the EP, ends things on a more upbeat note. It’s a logical conclusion to this offering, but could just as easily appear in the middle of a full-length as a climactic song.

Sun Diving is an album that manages to capture a wide range of human emotion in just a few short songs, arranging them in an ebb and flow meant to deliver the greatest bang for your ear buck. I look forward to hearing how they will expand the direction of this EP. Mona Feel also plays live shows, and will be playing at the Subterranean in Chicago, IL at the end of January. After hearing this EP, I can only imagine how much energy they bring to the stage, and hope to see them live one day.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

       Critique/insight

    We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent  music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.

    Tweets by divideanconqer
    Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook


    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Company

About
Contributors

Newsletter

Newsletter
Book Your Band

© Divide and Conquer 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact