MONO

Enigmatic Tokyo instrumentalists, now with added drummer and Steve Albini.

There are few bands in the post-rock world that can command as much attention or anticipation as Mono. For this, their 10th album in 20 years, they’ve innovated quite radically. Recorded with Steve Albini, they’ve not only added drummer Dahm Majuri Cipolla to their core line-up but also started experimenting with electronics in earnest. Tracks such as After You Comes The Flood are reminiscent of two-drummer Worlds Apart-era …Trail Of Dead, albeit instrumental. Other cuts are more sedate, however, with the brooding Breathe built on gauzy vocals and a bed of synth pads, rather than dramatic dynamic shifts. The title track, Sorrow and Meet Us Where The Night Ends are more business-asusual for the band, with atmospheric guitars, halftime drums, and orchestral ornamentation. Mono certainly do it better than their imitators, but the by-the-numbers tunes are less exciting than their more innovative cuts, even if they carry emotional weight. The fact that Mono are still able to put out intelligent, evocative albums after all this time shows their growth as composers. Nowhere Now Here is an interesting evolution, with a few gentle surprises along the way. AL