Every time Mononegatives (London, Ontario) put a new release out, I am curious about what kind of mutant punk creature they’ve meshed together this time. In case of their new LP Crossing Visual Field, it’s definitely something outerterrestial and delightfully weird. Mononegatives are the kind of band that stuff so many ideas in their songs that it’s alway uncertain how they will turn out. Almost like a kid drawing its wildest fantasies. It may not be pretty, but it’s pure and true. Crossing Visual Field is dense with creativity and as such demands repeated listens to unlock its true quality. At their most basic level, Mononegatives can sound like Mind Spiders and Television Avenues – listen to Neutral Solution and Television Funeral for example. But don’t be surprised to find a song like Faculty, which starts out as tight garagey punk track to completely derail and take unexpected detours, and all in one minute. On their new record, Mononegatives reminds me of Ray Bradbury’s famous line “Jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down.” The jump is kind of scary, but it’s worth it.
Crossing Visual Field is out now on LP (with accompanying DVD!) through Dowd Records.
Add to wantlist: Dowd Records