I was a huge fan of The Red Tree (Moneen’s last album) and still am. It’s one of those records that you forget about until you put it on…and it takes over your headphones for a week. It’s like popcorn – I only remember I like it when I go to the movies. Kenny Bridges and the boys are so uplifting-ly epic without sounding preachy; it’s always been a great formula. Unfortunately, it’s one that grows stale on The World I Want to Leave Behind, which suffers from some heavier parts and a shameless grab at radio balladry.
The first half of this release picks up right where The Red Tree leaves off and it would seem that all is right in the world of Moneen. But, halfway through the album, things shift. Instead of all the positive atmospherics, we are yo-yoed between grungy slabs of hard rock and acoustic guitars accompanied by sweeping string arrangements. Neither of these sounds suit Moneen at all and Bridges’ normally strong delivery seems uncharacteristically empty. For every excellent track like “Hold That Sound”, there’s an evil counterpart, like “Waterfalls”. One makes you turn it up, the other makes you turn it off. And this is the case throughout.
The first half of The World I Want to Leave Behind does deliver vintage Moneen, but it’s the rest that sounds lazy and extremely awkward for a band that oftentimes seems to know exactly what it’s doing. Portions of the album sound phoned in, leading me to think it may be their last. Closer “The Glasshouse” gives some hope that the tank’s not empty, but it’s also far too little, too late.
Label: Vagrant
