Munroe Effect - You Are Goldmouth EP
 

Munroe Effect start off their EP with "The Escape (part one)". It’s an electronic based, finger picked guitar intro; think Radiohead’s In Rainbows. The Portsmouth based band lead you into a subtle verse with background guitar playing that can only be described as a harmony rich trance. The drums soon jump in and really kick off The Escape, it carries on building but doesn’t quite get you to that end your after. While you think your ending on an anti-climax, you’re thrown straight into the next song, "Death of a tin God".

To really appreciate the intro to Death Of A Tin God you need to carry a straight listen on from The Escape. If you are ever dropped right into the intro, it doesn’t really fit to the rest of the song. Despite this, the band deliver yet another cracking verse, with some lyrics that seem deep and personal to the singer. The verses from Munroe Effect’s first two songs are definitely a producer’s dream to work with. The Chorus of "Death of a tin God" revisits that climax you never got from "The Escape", and definitely gives it to you straight this time. The rest of the song goes decorously with the verse and chorus, but they are the parts that stand out to me.

"You are Goldmouth" is the title of the EP and the released single. I could tell straight away as it is the most radio friendly, but also displays lead guitarist Andy’s ability to write a great guitar hook, that has “hit” written all over it. The beat from the drums carries the feeling to keep on moving in the verse and jumps into the chorus, where the lyrics ‘Raise your head’ can only make you imagine the intimacy from the crowd and front man shouting together.

"Monsters" has an aggressive start which kicks straight in but drops straight to a mellow verse as soon as it comes in. It’s a short song but is pretty darn catchy. It has an instrumental breakout just before and just after the chorus. This is my least favourite song on the Munroe Effects EP, but it has that something about it that, says “this going to be ten times better live.”

The final track "Subterranean Death Clash Remix" courtesy of K&E, is a toned down version of what the band are. K&E however provide a pretty good chill out track, its easy listening, but the Remix hasn’t taken away what made the song so catchy in first place.

Munroe Effect - You Are Goldmouth EP is well worth checking out so get online and buy yourself a copy today!

Re: Munroe Effect - You Are Goldmouth EP
 

Munroe Effect are a fluffy rock band from Portsmouth. Munroe Effect are the kind of rock band that, instead of grabbing you by the balls and squeezing, will tickle them slightly. With some kind of feathered instrument, a boa or a duck, maybe?

The music seems to come from a basic enough place. The guitars strum nicely along, changing chords every once in a while to keep your interest, the drums beat simple rhythms and the singing drones tunefully through, about some subject matter that doesn't quite interest me enough to listen to the lyrics. Not to say that the music is boring or badly played, no, no, no, I'm not saying that at all. It just plays things pretty safe.

Every now and then the singer begins to scream his little heart out, bless him. While this is entertaining, I'm not sure it's for the correct reasons. I'd love to see him do it live, his little face all red and twisted, looking like he's fallen off the toilet.

Munroe Effect are described as "experimental Post-Punkers" and except for a few whiffs, like a fart on a farm, I don't see this at all, and would see them more as a post-recent-bland-rock group. Meaning that Munroe Effect are after the bland rock, not part of it.

There are some interesting sections in on this EP, and would really like to see how they develop as a band. This is obviously a first draft, and it sounds like it. If I had heard them on the radio, amongst a mix of other music, I would not have picked them out, but I feel privileged to have been given the chance to listen to them.

Check them out, but wait to see how things turn out for them before investing too heavily.

Listen to this album: While balancing a heavy suitcase on your head.

Rating: 68%