Moneen's 2009 release,
The World I Want to Leave Behind, is certainly a sign of the times in the rock world -- intricate musical bits are combined with emo-like vocals, and in the process, the group never forfeits the importance of melody. Sound like a familiar recipe? It should, as seemingly oodles of bands follow the same formula -- especially those who find themselves playing on a Warped Tour stage. The
Moneen gentlemen have obviously studied their vintage
Sunny Day Real Estate recordings, especially on such tracks as "Believe," while throwing an early
Radiohead-like curveball at us with "Redefine." Add to it some heavy
Smashing Pumpkins guitar riffs ("Hold That Sound") and some mellow detours ("Lighters"), and you have to give
Moneen some credit, as they refuse to be pigeonholed using a one-dimensional sound -- something that the vast majority of their radio peers are quite guilty of. ~ Greg Prato