After beloved Australian guitar pop band The Lucksmiths called it a day, Mark Monnone carried on solo as Monnone Alone. Since 2011, he’s released a string of singles, EPs, and three albums—each charming in its own right. Today sees the arrival of his fourth full-length, Here Comes the Afternoon, and it’s a perfect soundtrack to ease into the weekend.
This new record marks quite a shift from 2019’s Summer of the Mosquito, still my personal favorite Monnone Alone release. If that one was his straight-up power pop record—breezy, catchy, and ready to rock—Here Comes the Afternoon is the more ambitious, stylistically diverse sibling. It’s still guitar pop (or melodic indie rock, if you prefer), packed with hooks, but also dips into psych and sunshine pop. It’s summer music without the sugar crash—mature without being dull, and subtly stunning throughout.
The core Monnone Alone line-up (Gus Franklin, Joe Foley, and Louis Richter) is joined by an impressive supporting cast: Darren Hanlon, Steph Hughes, Connal Parsley, and Lehmann B. Smith, along with members of The Icypoles (Isobel Knowles), The Ladybug Transistor (Gary Olsen), Kisschasy (Darren Cordeux), Fred Astereo (Stanley Paulzen), and Personal & The Pizzas (Drew Cramer). That’s a long list, but I feel I have to include them here because of how layered this full-course album is. Indeed, Here Comes the Afternoon is Monnone Alone’s most rewarding and fully realized work yet—warm, generous, and endlessly listenable.
Out now on Safe Suburban Home (UK), Meritorio Records (Spain/EU), Lost and Lonesome (Australia), and Repeating Cloud (North America).
Very easy-breezy sound – takes me back to the sweet sound of the summer of ’67. Lovely, so pleasing, carefree and good. I really love this!