Life in Mono is an alternative rock band from Bath formed in 2019. The four-piece group is composed of Sarah Clayton on voice, guitar, and keys; James Davis on guitar; Mike Gill on drums, and Adam DT on bass. Inspired by bands like Placebo, Deftones, and even AC/DC, Life in Mono is an original proposal within the alt-rock genre. Its music is characterized by a dark tone, deeply emotional lyrics, and a clear tendency to contrast within its work, combining styles, sounds, and timbre in a very original way.
With great support from BBC Introducing, and platforms such as The Music Flow, their previous singles Smile for the Camera and The Cold have had great reception from the critics. And there are other works worth mentioning, such as Madness and Lead On from their debut EP (Life in Mono, 2020), which shows the variety of styles and sounds the band can achieve, while maintaining their alt-rock roots.
Life in Mono’s new singles Blackout and Sex To White Noisemarks a return to the studio. With the intention of being released together, they were recorded live from the studio, uncut. As a pair, they contrast with each other in an exciting way. Both represent the strident comeback of this exciting new band.
BLACKOUT
According to the group, Blackout is about being involved in a relationship with someone you know it’s not good for you, but you can’t let go of. With this in mind, the isolated guitar riff that opens the song creates the perfect atmosphere for the melodic voice line to come in. As a result, the combination just works as the melodic line reflects vulnerability and anguish over a rather obsessive guitar riff. As the song moves on and more instruments are introduced, the feeling of expectation grows stronger. The instrumental part towards the middle end of the song works perfectly with everything we’ve heard so far. It creates contrast and brings new sounds, renewing the interest for what’s to come - a powerful new guitar riff and the voice’s last few lines. Finally, the texture dissolves as every sound fades away progressively, to end with drums alone.
As for the instrumentation, every sound is in the right place and the result is a song that strongly resembles early 2000’s-2010’s alt-rock music. Everything in the song works and brings about balance: an extensive part where we hear the voice almost uninterruptedly and an instrumental part to bring the song to a closure.
SEX TO WHITE NOISE
Blackout’s sibling, Sex to White Noise is, according to the group, a song about trying to connect in a special way with someone when you feel utterly numb.
The song begins with the sound of the cymbals and a very subtle - yet clearly perceptible - harmonic accompaniment. Over this, the voice line comes in (with an amount of reverb that works perfectly with everything else) and the general timbric combination creates a very soft and profound atmosphere. Almost unexpectedly, the chorus explodes in sound and chaos - in a good way - made up by the guitar effects and the change in the rhythmic pattern of the drums. The song relies on contrast to bring about an element of surprise: a single, quiet beginning, a powerful chorus, and an outburst of sounds and effects for an ending. With this, this song maintains a huge amount of originality.
Blackout / Sex To White Noise are the perfect previews of the band’s future - which appears to be a bright one. With a UK Tour and dates of future releases to be announced in 2023, Life In Mono makes a remarkable return that will be very much appreciated by alt-rock fans.
Listen to 'Life in Mono's' Blackout and Sex To White Noise.
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