ALBUM REVIEW: Oath – MONO
When a new MONO release comes around, it’s almost redundant to remark on the quality of it. The Japanese instrumental post-rock titans are some of the most well-regarded musicians in the genre, with a rich and varied catalogue of music that explores classical music and shoegaze/post-rock in varying degrees. While their new album Oath is technically their 12th studio release, the band have released over 20 albums, including studio albums, soundtracks, EPs, live albums, and even split releases with their contemporaries in THE OCEAN and PELICAN. All this is to say that MONO are very much well-established at this point in their careers, and a “great” MONO album is quite simply just a MONO album.
Oath is no different in this regard. This soaring, wonderfully ambient and complex album is another brilliant milestone in their long career. There’s no drastic shake-up of the formula present, nor would it be wanted or required. The album opens with what could be considered a trilogy of songs, building and closing the first chapter of the record in a perfect arc. The hopeful and uplifting introduction on Us, Then feeds directly into the title track Oath, sweeping through similar ethereal tones before bringing in steadily rising horns and strings and proceeding into familiar post-rock. Then, Us continues the ambient tones present in the opening two tracks, chiming with the distant, interstellar sounds akin to those found on the final two VANGELIS releases Rosetta and Juno To Jupiter.
Dissecting an album like Oath on a molecular level is something that might feel both fruitless and unnecessary. Post-rock at its best creates an imaginative landscape of music that can be achieved through both the minimalism of held notes and repeating patterns, or full ensembles of musicians intricately and gradually layering their respective instruments to build towards grand crescendos. Not only are MONO more than capable of both, they strike the perfect balance throughout Oath, never favouring one over the other for too long and utilising minimalism and maximalism perfectly.
The tremolo-picking and massive chords over the timpani on Run On eventually cascade into a soaring string section that closes with the shrieks of heavily distorted guitar work. Reflection’s pensive piano opening creeps forward before bursting with sound, ending with a sun-bleached sound reminiscent of the shoegaze-skewing ALCEST album Shelter. There are quieter, more introspective moments with the likes of Hourglass, where the band take pause and let themselves breathe. Other tracks, like We All Shine On, start off in a similar manner before the signature building of percussion signals the incoming brilliance. Ending with the nine-minute Time Goes By, MONO successfully bring everything they have explored on Oath together into the one track, allowing themselves the slow swells and discordant guitar, the electronic tinkling and the rapid drumming that works beautifully with all the other elements at play to close out their latest opus.
While it shouldn’t be a surprise, Oath is another wonderfully creative and inspired album by MONO, and a glorious way to celebrate their 25th anniversary as a band. Their exploration of orchestral arrangements continues to work perfectly in tandem with their ever-immaculate post-rock vibes, constructing vivid imagery through their evocative, heart-pulling sounds. Oath has an expansive and varied back catalogue to live up to, but its brilliance is proof that there has never been a better time to get on board with MONO.
Rating: 10/10
Oath is set for release on June 14th via Pelagic Records.
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