The four guitar pop-loving lads in the Halifax group
Monomyth had to know when they started making jangling, hooky indie rock that it would be hard to escape the shadow of the bands that came before them. Indeed, their first album, 2014's
Saturnalia Regalia!, sounded like nothing more than a DNA splice of
Eric's Trip and
Sloan that fused the former band's scruffy charm with the latter's sure-handed way with a tune. Not a bad way to enter the music scene, but for their second album, the guys take a wider musical view and mix some new ingredients into the cheerfully poppy sound. Most of the tracks have the same basic feel and high degree of easygoing catchiness, with the opening "Aloha" basically nailing it right out of the gate. From there the band swerve from sound to sound, changing up guitar parts track to track -- sometimes blown out and gritty, sometimes super jangly -- and adding the occasional keyboard accent. There are laid-back, almost country-rock ballads ("Puppet Creek"), rambling psych pop songs that have frantically dueling guitars ("Falling in Love"), super trippy jams ("High on Sunshine"), drawling
Pavement-fronted-by-
Alex Chilton-sounding rockers ("New Year's Resolve"), and lots of top-notch indie rock that benefits greatly from the combo's youthful exuberance and carefree approach. There's even a beautiful pop song that channels
Teenage Fanclub's sunniest, most fragile moments and
Monomyth gives the song a polite Canadian upgrade. The album sounds like a bunch of guys hanging out and jamming on some nice tunes, not trying too hard or caring too much, and that's why even though they aren't doing anything that hasn't been done a million times before, it works so well. Despite their seeming nonchalance, the arrangements are mostly tight and thought out, the songs are clear and hook filled and best of all, there's not a single second of filler or fluff on the record. The band's first album was an impressive debut that staked a claim for them as the next great band from Halifax.
Happy Pop Family makes good on that promise. ~ Tim Sendra