ALBUM REVIEW: Aware – Moni Jitchell
Rising post-hardcore duo, MONI JITCHELL, have put out their second record AWARE. The Scottish duo has always kept their methods simple, yet the end results are songs of greater depths and dynamics. Something loud and unforgettable some might say. It all boils down to their live format: one microphone, a 12-string guitar, and a reproduction of their studio recordings. Again, something simple yet effective.
A style that carries on as a theme when it comes to the composition of each track where most of the track lengths fall just under the two-and-a-half-minute mark, keeping everything packaged and straight to the point. But perhaps it wouldn’t be truthful to say it’s a neat package: it’s a loud, chaotic one, but you find yourself loving it anyway.
As said, they like to get straight down to business, as shown from the immediate kick off as soon as you press play on opening track Ask where you’re immediately hit with that loud carnage you may, or may not have, fully expected. The vocals are shouty, there appears to be little presence of a rhythm, but soon a pattern emerges towards the end. And just as the track finishes we move into the next song, New Table, we have a more set composition within the punk meets hardcore variety, yet also introducing a more fast, cinematic atmosphere that feels suited for a drama-thriller film soundtrack.
Another thing we appreciate is how, while sticking to a loud, straight to the point attitude, MONI JITCHELL also take the time to bring a variety of genres in their instrumentals, allowing the different songs to have their own style, mostly avoiding the trap of having the album sounding like one long collective track. For example, Faults brings in elements of garage rock, while Ache acts as the only song where we experience something slow-paced, at least by Moni Jitchell standards, where even the loud shouty vocals we have become used to by now become a little more lowkey as they delve into something moody yet smooth. And then there’s Aware, the only track that goes above the three-minute mark that has the cleanest vocals on the record, at least at the start, while we experience a dark, bluesy vibe. Of course, the vocals go back to business as usual but the instrumentals remain the same and they sound incredible.
Admittedly, there are some songs that, while still sounding solid and we’re still all having fun here, can only really be boiled down to ‘loud punk track’ without much else that can really be added. We’re looking at you Hear and Limp Eyes although we think it’s fair to add that the latter would be a solid choice to close a live show out with.
Aware is a record that gets straight to the point and isn’t afraid to experiment. A good time really.
Rating: 7/10
Aware is out now via self-release.
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