The Monsieurs
Deux
I could go on and talk about the Monsieurs in a historical and topographical context: who their members are, what led them to the Monsieurs or how much they’re contributing to the music scene in Boston. But, I’m not going to do that here. I just want to talk about how much Deux rocks. Because this album is a stand-alone firecracker and should be respected as such.
If you didn’t already know, the Monsieurs play loud, snotty, catchy, garage pop punk. Lo-fi is the name of the game with them and by lo-fi we mean minimalist (guitar, drums sans the kick, and vocals) and loud. Loud as fuck. So much so in fact that you’ll be tempted to turn down the volume as soon as Burning Flame starts. Some are just not ready to take in the full rock of the Monsieurs. I’m not sure I am.
Deux has been a long time coming and more than meets fans’ expectations. Rest assured, the Monsieurs are not reinventing themselves here and just stick to what they do so well. This album has the loud, raw, gritty elements to their songs we’ve come to expect and they’re perfectly crafted to get stuck in your head and have you chanting the choruses to yourself. It’s impossible not to make comparisons to some of their contemporaries because they fit in so well with them. High School Star sounds like Nobunny on cocaine and Suburban Girls like the song the Ramones forget to write. Vocalist Andy California is the front man of the ages and Hilken Mancini’s guitar is distilled to the perfect rocking essence. What a compliment these two make. As we said before, if you don’t like Deux, we feel sorry for you.
Would you even consider owning this in any other format than vinyl? Could you think of any other label where the Monsieurs would be more at home? Well, I can think of at least one. Also, I’m listening to Deux on my iPod as I type this (on the lowest possible setting to protect my sensitive ears, of course). The vinyl we’re reviewing here is the beautiful black vinyl but the colored ones are still available from Slovenly. Make your copy a little more special.
Get it from Slovenly.
