Release Date: Sep 15, 2009
Genre(s): Indie, Rock
Record label: Vagrant
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Moneen's 2009 release, The World I Want to Leave Behind, is certainly a sign of the times in the rock world -- intricate musical bits are combined with emo-like vocals, and in the process, the group never forfeits the importance of melody. Sound like a familiar recipe? It should, as seemingly oodles of bands follow the same formula -- especially those who find themselves playing on a Warped Tour stage. The Moneen gentlemen have obviously studied their vintage Sunny Day Real Estate recordings, especially on such tracks as "Believe," while throwing an early Radiohead-like curveball at us with "Redefine.
When Moneen’s Kenny Bridges belts out, “You gotta be strong / You gotta believe in your own way” on its latest release, The World I Want to Leave Behind, one can’t help but wonder: What the hell is he talking about? After all, everything on his band’s fourth full-length release has been heard before from a laundry list of bands over the past 15 years that includes such weepy fellows as the Get Up Kids, Saves the Day, Good Charlotte, and Sense Field. That’s not to discredit the band’s passion and sincerity or its musical chops and knack for catchy hooks because Moneen certainly, if anything, trys awfully hard. However, what do you expect from a band who has songs titled, “Lighters” and “Waterfalls” (no, it’s not a TLC cover) on an album called The World I Want to Leave Behind? If you think over-the-top, highly emotional, generic pop ballads, then you have correctly described Moneen’s latest full-length.