MONOTRACT - TRUENO OSCURO (LOAD 108)

TRUENO OSCURO OR "DARK THUNDER" FOR MY NON-SPANISH READING FRIENDS IS THE NAME OF THE RECORD BY MONOTRACT AND UNLIKE HETERO SKELETON THESE GUYS ACTUALLY ARE SPANISH SPEAKERS HAILING FROM FLORIDA BUT RESIDING IN NEW YORK. LIKE OTHER LOAD BANDS FROM NEW YORK THEY ARE KIND OF NO WAVE BUT ALSO DOING IT IN THEIR OWN WAY AND NOT JUST APING BUSH TETRAS OR SOME SHIT.

I GUESS WHAT ACTUALLY STRUCK ME ABOUT MONOTRACT IS THAT THEY ARE RELATIVELY MORE GENTLE AND APPROACHABLE THAN SAY SIGHTINGS AND MOUTHUS AND ALSO THAT THEY WEAR A LATIN INFLUENCE ON THEIR SLEEVES. I'VE NEVER REALLY HEARD A DISTENDED LATIN RHYTHM BEFORE AND IT LENDS ITSELF TO AN AVANT IDIOM QUITE NATURALLY. THEY KIND OF STUTTER FORWARD WITH THE WOUNDED MOTION OF A US MAPLE SONG AND I FIND THAT KIND OF NEAT.

I GUESS I DID NOT CONNECT WITH THE MELODIC APPROACH TERRIBLY WELL. THESE FEEL LIKE SONGS TAKEN APART AND GLUED BACK TOGETHER AND THEN SORT OF BLURRED IN A WAY WHERE YOU CAN'T REALLY TELL ITS PROVENANCE. IT IS NOVEL AND IT IS TOTALLY LISTENABLE AND THE DRUMMING IS WORTH CHECKING OUT. BUT I GUESS THERE WERE NO MUSICAL MOMENTS WHERE I CRANED MY EAR CLOSER FOR A BETTER LISTEN.