“Behm” is an electronic track that still sounds very natural and organic. The repetition seems to show more of a growing process rather than an act that does not know where to go with their next track. There is a snowball track present on this song that is foreboding. Individuals that have just started this disc have no idea where Monster Movie will go with the rest of the tracks on “All Lost”. “Vanishing Act” shanging the overall style of the band up slightly, adding a very electronic (maybe Cakewalk-created) set of strings that open up to a very dreamy type of pop. “Vanishing Act” seems to show Monster Movie’s love of acts like The Beatles, as there seems to be present a style that has all the pomp and circumstance of earlier Beatles recordings.
“The Stars That Surround You” is another track where Monster Movie creates a track that will stand the test of time. The multiple vocals that present themselves on the track are just one of the strong points of the song, but something that may just be more impressive is the soulful harmonica that strings its way through the track. With the gravity that Monster Movie places in each of their songs on “All Lost”, listeners will quickly get the sense that the band is playing more for posterity than for any desire to sell millions of records.
While a number of the tracks on “All Lost” seem to reside in a slightly earlier mind frame, the driving beat of a track like “Return To Yesterday” have the band working in a current paradigm. The result is as strong and as convincing as anything else that is present on “All Lost”. “Return To Yesterday” eventually stumbles open a very Fischerspooner meets Postal Service sound that is bolstered by a bouncing drum beat. The band has their biggest hit of “Monster Movie” with “Driving Through The Red Lights”. The same dreamy vocals dominate, but the chorus is some of the catchiest that I’ve heard from any band. Monster Movie has made a fun album, even if it makes listeners think at time. The drone of a track like “The Impossible” is delightful, and the slow tempo will keep individuals following on every word that is sung. I have little doubt in my mind that the band will below up in a short period of time; keep listening in to them.
Top Tracks: The Impossible, Vanishing Act
Rating: 7.9/10
Monster Movie – All Lost / 2006 Graveface / 12 Tracks / http://www.monster-movie.com / http://www.graveface.com / Reviewed 20 October 2006
[JMcQ]