CD Review: The Monolators, “Don’t Dance”

The Monolators‘ newest album, “Don’t Dance”, is an interesting little package with three distinct qualities: (1) it’s melodious aspect employs partial elements of both classic and old school rock n’ roll (infused with modern styles similar to The Arctic Monkeys and The Violent Femmes); (2) at a total length of 34 minutes, it is ideal for the type of person who, say, can sit through an episode of Sex & the City, but found themselves longing for an out during the The Movie; and (3) the bulk of the lyrics are obscure enough to creep across the lips of the dare-to-be-different youth of Anytown, USA.

The Monolators’ early formation as a husband-wife duo has since morphed into an ensemble consisting of Eli Chartkoff (vocals and guitar), Tom Bogdon (lead guitar), Ashley Jex (bass), and Mary Chartkoff (drums), allowing room to stretch even further their garage punk rock sound. The album’s opening track, “I Must Be Dreaming”, is a brilliant gem that will quickly land into the happy-sad song category, with hand-clapping inspiring much foot-tapping until the irony of lyrics such as “walk around with your eyes down to the ground” is realized. The title track, “Don’t Dance”, is also fit for the swaying, with percussion and musical phrase taking on Middle Eastern influences. If this song itself doesn’t offer enough reason to get up and cut a rug, its all-over-the-place “(Reprise)” will.

Rounding out the album’s pseudo-emo spectrum are songs of unrequited love (the best kind there is; “Oh No, Everything Has Changed”) and of smitten-heart syndrome, made more endearing with strategically-placed background harmonies (“Hearts Going Steady”). Ah, young love, expressed poetically and without inhibition. Is there any other way? “Don’t Dance” beholds the quality of the listener having stumbled upon vinyl of their parents’ generation, written and produced when times were supposedly “simpler”. If anything, should our future young generations interpret anything through this album, it will be believed for a moment that times were less complicated and that heartbreak was merely a fleeting idea – but eventually they’ll learn better.

The Monolators’ “Don’t Dance” will be released on October 21.

Photo via themonolators.com