Someone recently recommended Monster Rally to me, and I’d never heard of them, but was excited to take a look. Ted Feighan is the man behind the music in this one – bringing fusions of tropicalia and hip hop into a collage of songs. Monster Rally is compared to The Avalanches in their description on Spotify, and I very much like The Avalanches so I’m pretty excited. With that said, I’m going to jump into the music.
“Menagerie” has a super relaxed island sort of feel to it. Wow, I’m really digging this one so far. It reminds me a lot of The Avalanches, but seems to be served in a different, island-like platter, with many smooth jazz-like elements to it. All the horns and saxophone in this one feel so relaxing, while the drums really keep things moving forward with a beat that’s not necessarily aggressive in nature, but is definitely front and center. The drums almost remind me of Brothertiger a bit. Wow, that harp outro is awesome.
“Noche Peligroso” seamlessly starts right after the previous song. The drum-work is really interesting with the different beats that are accentuated throughout the different measure of the song. The chimes and nature noises really give the beat quite a serene feeling. I’m super digging this one so far.
“Shell Snake” starts out in a way that reminds me of old Christmas music with a style that sounds like it’s being played off of an old vinyl record. I really dig the counterpoint between the percussion and the melody – seemingly working independently from one another and meeting in the middle at some point to create a really a really interesting, chill vibe to the whole thing. I’m really digging this one because of similar the song feels throughout, but there’s definitely slight variations here and there that are subtle, yet very intriguing.
“Ginger on the Wind” starts seamlessly from the last track – I really dig that this album, how it’s all one cohesive, seamless piece with notable transitions seemingly built into the songs. Wow, I really got lost in this track and it got to the end before I even realized it.
“Lazy Hibiscus” has almost a busy island business vibe to it, if that even makes sense. I really dig the piano in this one. The background almost sounds like it’s a record skipping to the same spot over and over again, while different instruments/samples are played on top of it. This album is such a pleasant listen so far, and honestly time is going by pretty quickly. I’m really just getting lost in the music. Oh wow, this one has a feeling of breaking through in a certain way after a certain point. Wow, there’s almost a lovely orchestral soundtrack vibe to this one as it exits. Great tune.
Wow, “Adventure” really changes things up a bit with some guitar. I’m really digging this song, it really feels like the album is picking up momentum at the momentum. Wow, that glitchy feeling almost reminds me of Girl Talk. I really love what sounds to be the tapping of wood blocks that keep a steady upbeat tempo through this whole song.
Wow, “Reef High” starts seamlessly from the previous track, but also manages to change the vibe up a lot. I’m also reminded a bit of Mr. Carmack with the island-like samples used for these songs. This is such a pleasant listening experience, and possibly the most creative use of samples of elevator music I’ve ever heard used in music.
“Pow Wow” has a very light feeling to it, like you’re looking above a cloud while standing on the peak of a mountain. Very pleasant, lighthearted song.
“Sweet Flower” has a scratchy vinyl like feeling, but wow those drums in intro are superb. Wow, there’s a vocal sample in this one that really is unexpected, though no real words are audible so far. I’m also reminded a bit of XY&O, a tropical pop/edm group that I enjoy. I really love the guitar work in this one – I can’t tell if that’s actually a sample or deliberate overdubbing, and I’m really digging it.
“Sister Owls” keeps the momentum going in this one. The drums are absolutely superb. A lot of drums used these days in many types of music are super quantized so there’s not much of a groove off the beat, but the drums keep varying from each measure while staying on the beat or very near it. It reminds me a lot of Brothertiger in that aspect, and is absolutely fun to listen to.
“Que Linda” has a super sweet tropical feeling to it with the samples/overdubbing this one. It’s hard to believe that the album is nearing the end, because I could listen to this all day. Because of the samples used, the music varies wildly, while maintaining the same or similar tone throughout. It’s a wonderful collage of music. This almost sounds like some sort of tropical sampled rework of a James Bond soundtrack song.
“Spirit Guide” starts out low and slow with a little repetitive bass line that seems to be reliably placed so far, while the rest of the music sort of creates a serene soundscape that is sampled from the heavens. There’s such a great almost mystical vibe to this one. I’m also sort of reminded of Part Time with this one.
Oh wow, “Tangerine Lounge” has samples that sound straight out of an edm song with how rounded and high the notes seem to be – I’m really digging it. The little chromatic lines that seem to be sampled are really cool.
Oh wow, “Lost Kisses” is so sweet. I feel like I recognize the sample, or at least the melody, but don’t know from where. There’s definitely an almost longing patience to this one, very neat tune.
“Philodendron Fields” sounds like some sort of cowboy western song sampled and combined with a strange circus mixture of tropical sounds that creates a super interesting vibe. It almost sounds like a harpsichord or something similar is sampled, and really gives the whole thing a really awesome, almost medieval feel to an extent.
“Chica Lodge” starts so smoothly, wow. It’s like some sort of jazz guitar but to a strong and faithful beat, while some conglomeration of strings creates a sampled soundscape around it. This one is super relaxing, and a really cool tune to listen to.
“Twiggy’s Flight” has an almost old VHS tape-sounding vibe to it, reminiscent of vaporwave to a certain extent. This is definitely a super chill song with elements that sound like they’re almost floating through the conglomeration of samples. Wow, this one switches to a vibe that’s almost like a ragtime song recorded on vinyl, played in a room on a tape recorder, put on a shelf for 25 years, and then played in an old VHS tape player. What an awesome finish.
Wow, this album was definitely awesome. Hearing all of the different samples really kept all of the music fresh throughout, and the end product is a collage of melodies that work against and with each other to create super interesting, creative, and unique music. I’m very glad to have been recommended this one, and to have listened to it. If you’re a fan of artists like The Avalanches, Girl Talk, Brothertiger, Mr. Carmack, or artists like these, there’s a fair to good chance you’ll enjoy this album too. Anyone looking for an old tropical paradise feel with a modern approach might get a lot of enjoyment out of this one. I certainly enjoyed the experience, and I hope you enjoy it at least as much as I did if you do decide to give it a listen.
-A