Whole Sky Monitor  "Bland Bland Bland"

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Author: Oliver Turner.

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I will avoid the pun of mentioning the word “bland” in relation to Whole Sky Monitor’s second LP, it’s to easy and I am a lot more “classy” than that. Sorta. Well...maybe not.

Anyhow, what we have is a very honest, well-played blast of alternative, guitar pop music I suppose. The PR bio name-drops Mark E Smith, Oasis and Led Zeppelin. Which may be a bit to ambition really. They possess a decent knack for avoiding the easy route when it comes to song structures and ideas. “Mary Moses”, Cinenema”, “Way over Fourteen” and “Venus Not Venus” are all prime examples of this skill. Mixing a very gritty melodic suss with a surprisingly and angular rhythm section that brings to mind Fugazi and Gang Of Four while the vocals have that strangulated croon of hoarse melody and shouting.

So why the low score then? In all honesty despite the bands well intentioned playing and obvious skill the songs tend to blend all into one, at least for me they did. There are good bits and bad bits but I still got the feeling that there not quite all the way there yet. The album seemed to start and then finish. I remembered a few parts but nothing that would stay with me. There is a good band in there. Just might take a bit more digging.

Listen: www.myspace.com/wholeskymonitor

Tracklist:

1. Cinenema
2. Mary Moses
3. Harehills Chapeltown
4. Three Cheers For The Wierdo
5. Just let Me Talk To Her (Part 1)
6. Sick Sick Sick
7. Way Over Fourteen
8. Siddell
9. Bland Bland Bland
10. Internal Critics 4
11. N.O.
12. Venus Not Venus
13. Just Let Me Talk To Her
14. URL