Mona - Mona

Ambitious debut from the 'Princes of Leon'.

It's only a matter of time before a band from rural America is dubbed, or at the very least compared to, the Kings of Leon - but there's solid ground behind the comparisons between recent 'Use Somebody' arena-packers and this new Ohio (now Tennessee) band. Yet for a band so hyped the online presence is minimal: indeed, according to an article in The Guardian last year, "[they] have been so keen to keep their debut material under wraps that rather than sending it out to journalists to review, they played it down the phone to them". Not exactly the most conventional approach for a modern phenomenon but maybe that adds to the illusion or charm.

Their eponymous debut immediately introduces us listeners to a world of tense, atmospheric riffs and a raw, slightly twanged, vocal that will continue to be a recurring theme throughout - 'Cloak and Dagger' making the best of some U2-like stadium-filling blasts and echoes, that would do well in reaching towards the sky solo but singer Nick Brown is equally ambitious. Their debut single, 'Listen To Your Love', has a rich bassline and a heavy, earnest take on romance that only the descendants of Springsteen can muster. I imagine it's a little bit irritating getting all of these KoL comparisons, but the intro to 'Teenager' (their third single) really does remind me of the band's single 'The Bucket' and, as one of my favourite songs of the past decade, that's not a bad thing at all. A thudding drum from Vince Gard gives the track fresh vibrancy on which the others can reach out from.


If I were to liken the band to anyone slightly less obvious I think last year's 'American Slang' record from The Gaslight Anthem is a close similarity - 'Lines in the Sand' making the same kind of epic-rock ripples that record strived for - and again, as a band I'm fond of, the track doesn't disappoint. Brown's howls of "it's cold outside!" deserve attention. However on 'Taboo Lights' there's less of a hubbub for them to shine over - the track sounding all too much like a Killers B-side and not really going anywhere. A hasty injection of adrenaline is administered to 'Lean Into The Fall', an alternative rhythm that thrives off its own unorthodoxy.

The bombasting is loosened a little on 'Say You Will' where Brown does his best Bono impression - howling a parable about an infamous woman ("some say she's carrying the Devil's child / the whole town is talking, they're trying to point the finger saying that it's mine") and it all sounds a little bit unoriginal. Indeed this fear continues into 'Shooting The Moon' with a slightly screamier take on Bullet the Blue Sky. So then they go for the piano ballad - 'Pavement' is as radio-friendly as they come and is a little bit like a mid-90s Bon Jovi offering with less "past-it arsehole" vibes. It's catchy indeed and a little bit twee but after so much attempts at grit it's a bit of a guilty pleasure.

Second single 'Trouble On The Way' is a short burst of energy that does well to try and wash away all doubts - and it works, if only because the repeated "we've got it all!" lyric seems to toy with my guilty conscience. The record finishes with 'Special', a kicking-dust-on-the-ground contemplative piece that rattles with some unusual rhythms but suffers from too many lyrical clichés ('stay a little while', 'throw away the key', 'just let it go', 'the morning is calling').


It feels a little bit harsh criticising a band so broad-eyed and with a handful of some genuinely catchy and invigorating tunes, but as a seminal record it smacks of imitation rather than innovation. And I'm not sure if this is a personal preference given how much of such music I regularly listen to - but I'm not convinced that the world needs another southern US rock band. Nonetheless - the first half of Mona gives me hope, and I'm sure they're more of a band to witness live. But...I'm not in love.

Rating: 6.5/10
Highlights: Lean Into the Fall, Teenager, Cloak and Dagger, Pavement, Listen To Your Love
Avoid: Special, Taboo Lights, Shooting the Moon
Artwork Watch: The Smiths' black and white photography penchant for dummies.