BY TIFFANY LI
Monsters Are Waiting
Ones and Zeroes
Kanine Records
While too much candy can make you sick, the only side effects to repeated listens of Ones and Zeroes, the new album by candy-coated Monsters Are Waiting are head-nodding, melody-humming and possibly an overdose of happiness. Well, not really, but like similarly sweet counterparts The Submarines, Monsters Are Waiting are the musical antidote to any bout of emo-music-induced depression.
Ones and Zeroes is the newest EP by the Echo Park duo (formerly quartet), comprised of Annalee Fery (singer, keyboard) and Andrew Clark (bass, guitar). At times sounding like the Raveonettes, but without the distortions and ’50s rock vibe, the band is best at songs that are candy-cane sweet in singer Fery’s high-pitched lilt. First track “Crazy Love” is dreamy, but devolves into a repetitively drawn out chorus of ohs, like a calm, floaty acid trip. It’s catchy, at least in the beginning, bringing to mind intros to similar floaty, poppy MGMT songs. But “Crazy Love” becomes saccharine when the beat slows, especially with every line drawn out to the furthest humanly imaginable. Luckily, the drums bring the beat back, and the song, in the end, is simply sweet.
Fery’s vocal range isn’t featured well on the EP, leading one to wonder about her technical singing chops. She sounds good when she gets out of the breathy, tight, drawn-out voice present in most of the songs. “Steal the Sun” is a good example of this, as Fery sticks to a lower range of notes, and her voice is clear, not breathy. It also helps that they minimized the over-used synths.
The synth effects are cute, for a few songs, but, like Fery’s high, sweet voice, they get a little cloying. “Don’t Lie” is a strong track, darker than some of the others on the album, and Fery’s breathy voice works with the subject matter of the lyrics and the overall tone of the song. But the constant noise in the background does detract from the overall effect, and the backing vocals are an unnecessary topping to the overloaded sundae.
Though the effects are at times offputting, and Fery’s singing can devolve into the sentimental, the EP works to a degree, often because of Andrew Clark’s notable guitar and bass performance. “It’s Endless” is a track that’s so sweet and innocent, one wants to hold its hand crossing the street and remind it to wash behind the ears. However, the song is saved by excellent bass work and a great drum and guitar break. The bass especially shines in the inspired cover of the Stone Roses’ “I Wanna Be Adored,” which is arguably one of the best—if not, the best—tracks on this record. Everything fits in this song. Fery’s voice is sweet, not cloying, and sexy, but still has her breathy, high sound. The backup vocals provide a key counterpoint, the drums actually drive change and the bass is wonderful. Moreover, the futuristic keyboard noises actually flow into the continuity of the song, and the production is very clean.
Overall, Ones and Zeroes isn’t a bad EP and shows Monsters Are Waiting’s progression and growth. The band still has it in them to become the Next Big Thing, but, like the childish sweetness of some of their songs, the EP seems a little underdeveloped. It has only been three years since the band formed, though, so there’s still time for this little (marzipan) flower to bloom.
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