There was nothing quite like the anticipation of buying a new single... anxiously awaiting your allowance, walking to the record store on a hot summer day, all to get a copy of that song you may have heard on the radio. And of course, listen to another unknown tune on the flip side, like a present waiting to be unwrapped. The times you got a single with four, FOUR!, songs was sweet squealing bonus.
Today, single releases get downloaded to your computer but it makes the anticipation no less sweet. Just a lot faster.
I felt that sense of unwrapping a present when I listened to the four track Mona EP. With Nick Brown on lead vocals/guitars, Vince Gard on drums, Zach Lindsey on bass/vocals, and Jordan Young on guitar/vocals, the Nashville-based group pour out a pleasing wave of static-y guitars and driving rhythms. Their brand of alternative rocks reminds me a bit of OG shoegaze (not nu-gaze) but with a modern energy and guitar hooks that will have you first bopping your head and then singing along in no time. I especially liked the angry anthem feel of "Lines In The Sand," but the catchiness of "Listen to Your Love" is no less addictive. It's the type of rock you play at a house party right before it gets crashed by the cops. I can't say the lyrics are anything to write home about, but with this band at the beginning of their career I'm already looking forward to watching how they develop. And this set, which also included the tracks "Teenager" and "Trouble On The Way," gave me an anticipatory taste of what's to be found on their self-titled debut album, Mona, which was released in the US this spring.
Want more Mona? Visit their hompage, Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace. You can find their music on iTunes and Amazon.
