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By Dennis Cook
There are not a lot of truly classic rock albums in the modern era. By "classic," I’m talking about song cycles that form a dense, interesting whole instead of just a random assemblage of stray parts. By "classic," I mean music that will endure through the years, informing new generations as it’s discovered and savored and welcomed into one’s life. Think of the catalogs of Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, and you’re on the right track. With their third long-player New Monsoon may well have crafted their first classic.
The Sound stares down today’s realities with a gravitas and philosophical depth that’s both sobering and empowering. Their clear eyes wipe the political fog from our own. Put simply, it’s heavy stuff for these heavy times. While their live shows frequently contain smile bombs like “Continental Divide” and “Blue Queen,” this bypasses their more jovial aspects. That’s not to say it’s devoid of sunlight, only that the warmth we find in this world often comes after long, difficult nights.
This seriousness reflects a sense that the band wants to be taken seriously. And to that end, they bring all their considerable skill and undisguised passion to bear. Brilliantly produced by Paul Kimble and Santana alum Michael Shrieve, this disc crackles with live wire electricity. “Journey Man” jumps out of the stall with sweaty stallion energy, a ripped rock animal ready to head for the hills. Every cut is dotted with beautiful little touches – interesting effects, electronic purrs, unexpected outbursts – all underpinned by the most subtle, together rhythm section working today.
Marty Ylitalo (drums), Rajiv Parikh (tablas, percussion), and Brian Carey (congas, timbales, percussion) produce an endorphin-charged sound that in lesser hands could overwhelm everything else. Paired with the seemingly effortless grace of bassist Ben Bernstein, there’s a flow to every note that allows the frontline of Bo Carper (acoustic guitars, banjo), Phil Ferlino (vocals, keyboards), and Jeff Miller (vocals, electric guitar) to strut most rockingly, especially Miller, whose beautifully controlled guitar fireworks will likely put him on a lot of new people’s radars.
The vocals are so sweet and effective that it’s hard to believe Miller and Ferlino had only been handling the lead position for about a year when these sessions occurred. Singing in prose poetry that cuts down to real things, they’re consistently honest and direct. Cool is for posers; being emotionally open and ready to let your tears and laughter flow is always more appealing.
While most assuredly a rock record (turn it up ‘cause it sounds fantastic LOUD), there’s a lot of musical points of entry. Their unforced eclecticism means fans of roots music or ‘70s electric jazz might also find their ears pricked by The Sound. “Another Night In Purgatory” echoes early, hot-rails-to-hell Blue Oyster Cult. “Hold On For Now” is one of the nicest slices of Meddle-period Pink Floyd not composed by Waters/Gilmour. Their influences swirl in the distance, but it is New Monsoon’s own sound that is most clearly articulated on this latest effort. Big and bold but also capable of incredible delicacy (to wit the brief piano-tastic farewell instrumental “Falling Out Of Trees”), this band has honed their vision to a fine point.
Whether or not The Sound will endure the way say Sticky Fingers or Abraxas or Houses of the Holy have is a question for time. What’s certain is that’s the level at which they want to play. With so many settling for ephemeral success, it’s heartening to find a group that wants to make music for the ages. This is both a product of our times and a hopeful rejoinder to the hardships that will always plague mankind. In this way, it speaks to universal truths and faces down the dark valleys that inevitably crop up. For now, we can call it a truly great album and sing our way towards some of the hard won light hiding in these grooves.
JamBase | California
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