Monoganon – Songs to Swim To

While the songs on Monoganon’s debut 12" may have been around in some format for a while now, to write this LP off as a redundant expansion would be a big mistake; you haven’t heard them quite like this before. The addition of a full backing band has turned John B McKenna’s project into an alt-rock marvel, The Devil’s Finger transformed into a driven opus that would bring a tear to J Mascis’ eye while Eternal See You Soon now possesses a spark of vitality that is impossible to ignore.

The only song to remain largely untouched is live staple Needle Green which, while it does suffer slightly from the seeming downturn in dynamics, is merely a bump in the road on an album that otherwise overspills with energy, creativity and wit. It’s a crying shame that the physical release is a limited pressing, all the more reason to pick it up at the first opportunity. [David Bowes]