Hailing from Brookly, 3-piece Lgbtq+ punk outfit MONTE celebrates the release of their third EP "This is Monte". The band's been active since 2017 and it is led by singer and guitarist Caitlin Montclare, alongside drummer Ismael Baiz, and bassist Meghan Rose. As I got to know the colorful lineup during the EP, one thing stuck out above all else: These peeps are all seriously skilled musicians who seem to have a great time playing together. Punk ain't punk unless there's a bit of angst diluted on a whole serving of attitude, the latter part being one of MONTE's biggest strengths, right behind the serious musicianship of its triumvirate. With its speed and loudness, this EP is of course all frontloaded with attitude, but further, beyond that, they openly describe their five-track enterprise as being filled with "Lust, longing, angst, love, and love lost", with Montclare's badass vocals being the foundation upon which this stands. This is a very important point in my opinion because even though MONTE is -without a doubt- a Punk Band, you're not going to find that their sound is a one-trick pony; the band takes in a lot of heavier elements from hard rock and even heavy metal, with the Punk grounding seemingly being Montclare herself, who is just absolutely fantastic at it, so much so that I would put her among the top contemporary female performers of the genre in a heartbeat.
This is not to say that Montclare eclipses any of the bandmates flanking her. All three of them are fantastic musicians who I think should count themselves lucky that they've found each other in the same band, as they all seem not just able but also eager to push the sound into the outer edges of what's possible with a three-piece Punk formula. This is to the point where they sound even "bigger" than they suggest at first glance -something that producer Barb Morrison (Debbie Harry, Franz Ferdinand, Asia Kate Dillon...) no doubt leaned on when working alongside them in this EP. The themes of "Lust, longing, angst, love, and love lost" that the band elaborates on throughout the EP coalesce the best in track number 4, "Too Depressed To Touch Myself.” (or T. D .T .T .M) This song in particular I found contained every element of the EP, both lyrically and musically and it has -in my opinion- the catchiest and most anthem-worthy chorus of the lot. The band describes this track as "Besides the obvious, being too depressed to touch yourself, the song is about not being able to go about life without thinking of someone from your romantic past.". I think it also helps that this song boasts the sickest guitar solo, while also showcasing Caitlin's vocal range a bit more than the other songs. Definitely a huge stand-out in an already outstanding record full of hard-to-beat bangers. Overall, I found that there's not a single moment of playtime that isn't thoroughly enjoyable, and the more I explore it the deeper I fall in love with the record. I'm seriously impressed by the quality and It feels like MONTE has gotten to a place where they can do no wrong musically speaking. This is MONTE, and they're damn good & here to stay.
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