Consume Our Product is the first album from the Houston based band called Such Marvelous Monsters. This album has a lot of layers to unravel. It takes us on a journey through a wide spectrum, from synthy dream-like pop tunes to thrashing shoegaze romps. True to their influences from these genres, but adding their own spin that makes each song unique with their own characteristic. With several vocalists and writers from the band, there is a different flavor in each track. There’s the buzzing snyth tones from the opener “Keep Talking” and “Debase Yourself” to the surf-rock vibes of “Heroine”. We also have a straight up ballad with “Jimmy Stewart” to a mellow, almost-chill but distorted groove with “Bag of Bones”.
In line with the album cover and the band’s name, Consume Our Product is a collection of Marvelous Monsters. Each with their own mix of colors, moods and genres all packed in a 46 minute runtime.
Other standouts include “Shit Talk”, with the vocals getting revved over a strained relationship as it pleads on its chorus saying “All this shit talk leaves me dry.” Then there’s “Running” where lead singer Stephanie Wylie sings “and you think you’re a disaster/ complications I couldn’t master” detailing her running around in circles with a loved one.
It ends with “Consume” —— an industrial track with a machine-like drone beat that’s a satirical take on the modern consumerist world. The sound is straight-up Orwellian, set in a dystopian universe not unlike our own, with the hypnotizing tagline “Consume our product” going on and on. I can tell they really had fun on this one.
A really solid package for their first major release. Instrumentation is great and the sound and mixing is as good as other established bands. Excellent use of effects overall, I know this is a mainstay for the genre but still there’s very extensive use of it from the guitars to the vocals which elevates the songs even further.
The biggest strength in this album is the variation. The band alternates vocalists on multiple songs, showcasing their range and potential. The individuality of each member really shines through, resulting in a melting pot of good indie rock tunes. Fans of the genre will surely have their own favorites to choose from.
I kind of get a feeling that this is more of an exploration to what the group is capable of, it’s them trying to hit their stride, which could be a challenge especially when you have a lot of writers in a band. But with more experience playing together and finding their voice, I can’t wait to get a listen to what they can come up with next, as the group is said to be working on their 2nd studio album, slated for release next year. They also have a Youtube channel in the works for those of you wanting to check out more.
In line with the album cover and the band’s name, Consume Our Product is a collection of Marvelous Monsters. Each with their own mix of colors, moods and genres all packed in a 46 minute runtime.
Other standouts include “Shit Talk”, with the vocals getting revved over a strained relationship as it pleads on its chorus saying “All this shit talk leaves me dry.” Then there’s “Running” where lead singer Stephanie Wylie sings “and you think you’re a disaster/ complications I couldn’t master” detailing her running around in circles with a loved one.
It ends with “Consume” —— an industrial track with a machine-like drone beat that’s a satirical take on the modern consumerist world. The sound is straight-up Orwellian, set in a dystopian universe not unlike our own, with the hypnotizing tagline “Consume our product” going on and on. I can tell they really had fun on this one.
This is a really solid package for their first major release. Instrumentation is great and the sound and mixing is as good as other established bands. Excellent use of effects overall, I know this is a mainstay for the genre but still there’s very extensive use of it from the guitars to the vocals which elevates the songs even further.
I kind of get a feeling that this is more of an exploration to what the group is capable of, it’s them trying to hit their stride, which could be a challenge especially when you have a lot of writers in a band. But with more experience playing together and finding their voice, I can’t wait to get a listen to what they can come up with next, as the group is said to be working on their 2nd studio album, slated for release next year. They also have a Youtube channel in the works for those of you wanting to check out more.