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Originally released in 2002, this re-issue adds a bonus track that was previously only available on the vinyl release. While one half of the Monster Movie duo is Christian Saville, who played guitar in Slowdive along with Mojave 3's Neil Halsted, they do not embrace the layered, "Cathedrals of Sound" approach of his former band. Rather, piano, ethereal keyboard, and acoustic guitar are emphasized on this, their first full-length. More focus is placed upon song structure. That said, the album does share some moods with Slowdive, especially their Souvlaki LP. Much of the music carries a melancholic or yearning feel. And Louise Hewson's vocals on the catchy "Waiting" and "Winter is Coming" recall the lovely voice of Slowdive and Mojave 3's Rachel Goswell.
Monster Movie are a bit more subdued and straightforward in their sound; sometimes they put a bit of crunch or fuzz on the guitar, but the vocal melodies take prominence in the overall sonic picture (except in the atmospheric instrumentals). Maybe it could be called semi-gaze (or post-gaze). While the album is not terribly challenging or surprising, it is a well-crafted, enjoyable record that creates its own space. I think that along with people who miss Slowdive and Chapterhouse, fans of Grandaddy, Midlake, and Brian Eno's poppier material would dig this too.
reviewed by: Michael Snyder for Skyscraper |
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The fade-out always made the most sense with shoegazer bands. Something about tides of distortion and steady chord progressions suggest an endless continuum, no real starting or stopping points. You can imagine each layer of guitar still echoing somewhere out in the cosmos. Despite their short-lived, tumultuous history, Slowdive were masters of the art, resting at an apex of pop songcraft in contrast to My Bloody Valentine's noisy psychedelia. Slowdive mainstay Christian Savill is now making music with fellow Brit Sean Hewson as Monster Movie. A bit of a misnomer, the band's combination of pedal-drenched atmosphere with soft melodies has led to a super-satisfying, solid full-length.
Coming at the heels of an earlier EP on Clairecords, Last Night Something Happened may be a bit more subdued than other offerings from the genre, but no less affecting. The album begins with an instrumental, "First Trip to the City," a nice nostalgic drift through gentle pedal fuzz and layered keyboards. Then "Shortwave" continues with introspective piano, building into a poignant little chorus as the falsetto asks, "How do you feel, when your days are behind you?" Monster Movie have a way of multi-tracking their harmonies so thickly that it all blends with the instruments into an irresistible surge of sound. "Home" adds backing vocals from Louise Hewson, whose lovely sigh gets caught up in blustery synth swirls and the crisp drum crack that punctuates the mix. Like most dream-pop records, Last Night Something Happened is oriented towards album listening. Just when you think the whole disc is about to be filled with gloomy mid-tempo romanticism, "Waiting" charms you with sunny guitar strumming and sing-song vocals. "Sleeping on a Train" begins with a chugging locomotive riff, and takes the pace up a notch with an electrified jangle almost reminiscent of the Verve. Monster Movie flirt somewhere at the edges of Britpop, but the mellow nature of the softer songs here suggests Liverpool as much as Manchester. A brief change of pace arrives with "Star City," a forlorn piano instrumental with whupping helicopter noises and television chatter in the background. After the interlude, the album rises to another peak. "4th and Pine" tells the story of a supposed suicide, though details are not revealed. She's left behind only a note about her disappearance, sung with heartfelt sincerity by the boys: "Shadow, shadow, that's all I seem to be/ I am a shadow of who I used to be." On paper it may sound cut from the rather cliché cloth of urban alienation, but the way that chorus wells up so hopefully and yet ends unresolved turns this into a moving sketch. These songs may be about the unavoidable sorrows of life, but they're delivered with such compassion that the record takes on a medicinal quality. The slow, uncurling bassline of "Winter Is Coming" signals the end of the album, and the aforementioned fade-out lasts measure after measure, easing you off. Monster Movie may not be blessed with the absolutely ecstatic summery pulse of Slowdive, but it's clear they're aiming at a different season anyway. Like many songwriting duos, Savill and Hewson know when to cut a good thing short, and you're left wanting more than thirty-seven minutes. Last Night Something Happened ends at just the right moment, though, and there are few records I can recommend more this year in terms of pure pop replayability. The sleeve photos, all cut from glossy Thingmakers cardstock, show rainy highways from the first-person perspective, all running beyond the horizon line. It's clear that the album's meant to be a traveler's diversion, so maybe you'll enjoy it as a detour from your next trip to Souvlaki Space Station. reviewed by: Christopher Dare for Pitchfork |
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Do you remember those heady days after the levee broke on the underground, shortly after the release of Nevermind? It seemed, if for a brief moment, that "alternative" was the big new thing in terms of music, and that all of these odd little bands could very well achieve something greater than small club play and "cult" status. Sure, we all know that this was not to be, and that most of those bands were lucky to play only one show on the second stage at Lollapalooza, and were lucky if anyone actually bought their record afterwards.
Hindsight tells us now that such dreams would never, could never come to pass. Lots of broken hopes and dreams can be found in most bargain bins of any mom-and-pop record store. While there are many bands who populate that graveyard, there are quite a few hidden gems to be found in the rock-bottom racks. One of those bands is Slowdive--a noisy, melodic, and beautiful band whose place in history has been sealed quite nicely next to such shoegazing greats as My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream, House of Love, and Lush--you know, gone but fortunately not completly forgotten. While Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell, the leader and tamborine/backing vocalist of Slowdive went on to form the stoner-country-folk-rock band Mojave 3, and the others seemed to fall by the wayside in the annals of music history. Monster Movie, however, marks the return of Christian Savill (from the aforementioned Slowdive) and scene veteran Sean Hewson. On listening to Last Night Something Happened, it doesn't feel like either have been away very long. While Mojave 3 strayed away from the shoegazer trail, Monster Movie haven't, and it's pretty good to know that there are vets from that scene who are still interested in pursuing the sounds. Though Last Night Something Happened is following very closely along the shoegaze/dreampop history of both men, I don't think Monster Movie sound anything like Slowdive. The singing does, at times, remind me of former Pale Saints lead singer Ian Masters, especially on "Shortwave" and "Take Me Away." In fact, if anything, they owe their sound to In Ribbons-era Pale Saints. Of course, regardless of whether or not Monster Movie sound like Slowdive or Pale Saints or a church choir, nothing can deny the fact that Last Night Something Happened is a most lovely little record, full of quiet atmospherics, cooing crooning, and gentle instrumental melodies. You can't help but feel a little bit of warmth from this duo, whose collaboration has dated over ten years. This is their debut album, and it's a clear sign that good things come to those who wait, and no matter what their other bands sounded like, Monster Movie are a band who stand on their own. reviewed by: Joseph Kyle for Mundane Sounds |
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When Slowdive called it in a day in '95 people looked to Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell for what they would do next. Rhythm sections normally drift off into the abyss without anyone giving much care, but what is the other guitarist to do? When Christian Savill left the band he was in the slightly rare position of being a guitarist from a band who 99% of the songs were credited to one member, Neil Halstead. Was Christian pivotal in creating the bands unique sound, or was he just a hired gun playing what Neil told him to? Only the band members will ever really know how much Christian contributed creatively, but this album goes a long way towards showing he has a talent of his own that is worth listening to. Christian and his partner Sean Hewson wrote and performed everything on this, their debut album (they released a self-titled EP last year.) Ironically, it's most like the Slowdive's final album, Pygmalion, which Christian left during the recording of. Quietier and sparser than Slowdive's first two albums, there are no real sonic cathedrals here. Droning guitars washing over you, over drum machines and lonely pianos, with the vocals low in the mix and wordless "ooohhh" and "ahhhhh" backing vocals.
Opening track "First trip to the city" is a two-minute instrumental that glides along on a drum-machine and sets the mood of the album quite nicely. Ironically it's the other instrumental, "Starcity", in the middle of the album which best creates a mood and makes you start to imagine the other world that this music is taking place in. An inaudible TV turned down low in the other room, a helicopter's rotors whirring in the distance, and a piano playing in an empty room. If this doesn't get your imagination going nothing will. The most Slowdive-esque song of the album is "Waiting" which includes backing vocals by Louise Hewson. In an odd change of pace for albums like this, the last three songs are actually the most upbeat. "Take me away" & "Ooby" (the only song which also appeared on the EP) change the sound up a bit with some chiming acoustic guitars sprinkled over more prominent vocals and choruses. The last track of the album, "Winter is coming", ends with two minutes of wordless melody and is simply a beautiful ending to a wonderful album. The album artwork is a perfect accompaniment featuring shots of sparsely long open roads in all types of weather: hail, rain and snow. Clocking in at just over 35 minutes this album is short and sweet and is able to get away without a single bad track in the bunch. They know when to say when, most of these songs clock-in at under 4 minutes and never wear out their welcome. While it's certainly nothing like Mojave 3 (which Neil, Rachel and Ian went onto form), it's a fine debut album on its own terms. So, the guy from Slowdive who no one knew has quietly produced a worthy addition to your 21st century shoe-gazing collection. I guess sometimes nice guys do finish first. reviewed by: Torr Leonard for Dallas Music Guide |
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Christian Savill's most well known stateside position was as a member of the blissful and atmospheric Slowdive, who garnered a blip of attention in the early 90's in the wake of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. While derided as knockoffs, the band actually took the sound and slowed it to the point of near-stasis, thereby indulging in their soporific side and ignoring nearly everything else. Savill now has a new project named Monster Movie and, as opposed to fellow members Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell (who went the Americana route with the Nashville-by-way-of-Britain sound of Mojave 3), he continues indulging in the style he helped to perfect. The group's first album is, at its essence, well crafted pop songs, but, just like Slowdive, it boosts into stratospheric beauty by fitting shimmering guitar effects and harmonized vocals in just the right places. Again, as before, the key to making a good song has everything to do with taking familiar elements and combining them in unlikely ways. That Monster Movie chooses to articulate their talents through the oft-diluted dream pop route does nothing but highlight how substantial is their contribution.
reviewed by: Ben Goldberg for The Arcade Project |
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Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell of Mojave 3 aren’t the only ex-members of seminal shoegazers Slowdive to have found refuge since the band’s demise. Five years later, Christian Savill (the other pedal-happy guitarist) finally resurfaced with the oddly named Monster Movie. Its previous EP added yet another dream pop band to the fine Clairecords roster, and Last Night Something Happened builds on its celestial rock. One-time bandmate Sean Hewson joins Savill for this tranquilizing full-length, which at times ends up sounding like lost tracks from Slowdive or even the Pale Saints. Vocals (with the help of Louise Hewson) are more of an emphasis than guitar effects, however, making songs such as "Sleeping on a Train" and "Winter is Coming" chilly yet melodic. With many members of former early ‘90s dream pop bands abandoning the cherished style, it’s refreshing to find that Monster Movie still celebrates its vision.
reviewed by: Kenyon Hopkin for Resonance Magazine |
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Talking of Weston Super-Mare (you weren't, but I like to) if it didn't say on the sleeve there's no way you'd guess that Monster Movie recorded their album there. Just like Swervedriver's greatest records used to, Last Night Something Happened reeks of America. Not the Americana of the alt-country crowd, but the America that romances we foreigners in arty road-trip films. The America that's long interstate highways at night in the rain, the America that's long stretches of open desert, the America that's strip malls in the middle of nowhere and the America that's long bars in run-down diners serving truckers, fuckers and down-on-their-luckers. This America is the backdrop for Monster Movie's cyclical grooves, their drawn out guitar drawls and their easy, lazy, cruise control beats. But this is no coffee table kraut-u-like, there's good songs in here, and the (ex-) Slowdive dramy class of Christian Savill.
reviewed by: Robots and Electric Brains (UK) |
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Bubblegum music of the late 90's has taken over the airwaves with Boy/Girl groups leaving the music world adrift. However, there is a band that is shining like a lighthouse on a dark and stormy night.
Monster Movie is a duet from England fronted by Christian Savaill & Sean Hewson. The two have discovered a genuine sound that is an alternative to what is currently Alternative music. In their new LP titled "Last Night Something Happened" Monster Movie has a dark dreamy type sound. They achieve this affect with synths and acoustics, which creates a gloomy yet pleasant atmosphere. The ten-song disc only lends enough creativity to leave you waiting for a follow-up LP. With the driving acoustic guitars and flowing vocals the distortions and background sound effects blend very well. Track Seven, 4th and Pine, is the track with a catchy hook. I found myself humming the chorus after listening to it. Although the two has been together technically as Monster Movie since the year 2000, they have achieved a work that is worth buying, so go for it. reviewed by: John Arenas for Privy Magazine |
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Indie rock has mined the wreckage of Slowdive to some pretty good results: Both Neil Halstead’s solo career and his work with other Slowdive members in Mojave 3 trace their lineage back to the shoegazer act. Alas, fans of Slowdive’s more full-bodied rock are left with ringing ears and holes in their hearts, as Halstead’s more folk-based tunes have shunned the ample amplification for more-restrained walks through quiet-time rock.
Christian Savill, who was among the Slowdive crew until it went ambient with its 5 EP (1993, Creation) joins forces with Sean Hewson, and picks at the last bits of Slowdive’s carcass that Halstead and company passed over. It’s a bone-picking bit of scavenging that fans of Slowdive will recognize despite the decomposition of the corpse: Last Night Something Happened finds much more in common with the swooping guitars and drilling melodies of Savill’s previous band than any of Halstead’s acoustic-based rock. Monster Movie’s overblown guitars hark back to the shoegazer heyday, though there’s more than a trip in the wayback machine on this record, Sherman. If Mojave 3 is a band that’s got wrapped up in the "loud is the new quiet" fooferaw, then Monster Movie is one that’s not so enamored with semantics or fashionable sayings. Loud is loud. Period. Not so concerned with the hard edges and sharp bits of raw rock, Monster Movie lets loose barrages of warm, fuzzy guitars that rattle listeners’ cochleas with fuzzy fingertips ("Sleeping on a Train") or mix washes of glittery guitar with ambient keys to get a sound that makes up in robust production what it lacks in tempo ("Winter is Coming"). Of course, Monster Movies won’t let Halstead corner the market on quieter numbers, whether it mixes ambient background noise with a sleepy piano ("Star City"), or a plodding keyboard with fey vocals ("Home"). Monster Movie isn’t taking the risks that Mojave 3 does. As much as this sort of record would have been on the edge 10 years ago, the shoegazing British kid’s as cliché as the flannel-wearing Washingtonian. It’s familiar and done well, though, which helps forgive many of Monster Movie’s sins of complacency. reviewed by: Aversion.com |
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Leave it to members formerly of Slowdive to create one of the dreamiest dream-pop (or whatever you want to call it) releases that I've heard in a long time. Imagine Slowdive not being so dreary, or Mojave 3 not being so dreary and adding keyboards, or labelmates Isobella with a bit more dynamics and you're somewhere near this little gem of a release. Following up their wildly popular self-titled EP that was released last year, the album finds the duo exploring some of the same realm, as well as taking off in newer directions as well.
The disc actually starts out with a track that shows off their instrumental arrangements (of which there are several on the disc). "First Trip" is just about 2 and half minutes of old-school layered keyboards and some minimal of pitter-patter of drum machines while some swirling guitars wash over it all. It's a warm, inviting track that leads off the album well and drops into one of the poppiest tracks on the disc with "Shortwave." With absolutely beautiful harmonized vocals and cold layers of synths, the track nearly perfectly evokes the slight uneasiness of the pictures of a snowstorm (seen from the drivers eye view) on the cover of the CD. The group keeps a great pace going with the next several tracks as well. "Home" has a slower, echoed-out beat and more swirling synths, but also adds a nice organic touch with piano and acoustic guitars while "Waiting" is probably the best pop track I've heard yet this year with a hummable melody and more, lush layered vocals (including a guest appearence by Louise Hewson). The male-female vocal harmonies recall work by the former group Slowdive, yet the track has an effervescence that's infectious as well. After another downright sing-along track in "Sleeping On A Train," the group again goes into instrumental territory with the quiet "Star City," which is a bit more melancholy as only the sounds of a radio broadcast play out behind a slight melody and some subtle washes of static. By the time that the end track of "Winter Is Coming" is spinning, you may very well find yourself hitting the repeat button. At 10 tracks (with a bonus on the vinyl pressing) that run about 37 minutes long, the album is just about the natural length for a pop/rock release in that it never drags on too long, yet it's not too brief that it fails to stick. Other members of Slowdive might be grabbing more headlines with their releases, but this disc by Monster Movie proves that other former members of the group are creating things that are excellent as well. reviewed by: Almostcool.org |
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Sometimes, when a band breaks up, you become surprised at what becomes of the various ex-members. Take, for example, Slowdive. Who would have guessed, after listening to Pygmalion, that Neal Halsted would, in a mere 4 albums, transform his sound from sparse almopst ambient soundscapes to generic folk-rock? After hearing the last Mojave 3 disc, and a little of his latest solo album, i wonder why he gave up trying to make interesting music and instead has devoted his time to trying to be Nick Drake? And what happened to the rest of the band anyway? I mean, Rachel Goswell let Halstead carry her off into crappy folk-rock land, but what about the rest of them?
Well, it turns out that Christian Savill, one of the guitarists, has hooked up with his old buddy Sean Hewson to form Monster Movie. In fact, apparently Savill and Hewson were in a band pre-Slowdive, and now they are re-united. And, it turns out, Savill had some amazing talent for writing catchy melodies. Last Night Something Hapenned is a nice bouncey album of decent songs. However, the choruses on almost all of the songs are unbelievably catchy! It's as if the real strength of Monster Movie is writing a catchy chorus that gets your toes tapping and your head bopping, while the rest of their songs (the verses) are just filler between choruses. Okay, not really. The songs are good, but the choruses where the guitars swell up and the voices step forward in harmony -- that's some really nice stuff. Quite brilliant actually. My favorite is Winter Is Coming. This has some great bass work, and Savill plays an acoustic guitar throughout. The chorus, though: WOW! The acoustic gets louder, some phase shifting kicks in, the keys drone, and Savill and Hewson harmonize. It's a very powerful moment. But the album is not all sunshine and catchy choruses. There are, for example, two instrumental tracks. First Trip To The City starts the album off with a loud keyboard drone, sily drum machine riff, and spaced out guitar. The other instrumental is Star City, and i either love this song or hate it. (I honestly can't decide.) An organ drones and a radio stutters something in, i think, Russian. In the background a helicopter circles, the "chop-chop-chop" sound of it's whirring blades making the only rhythm in the song. It's relaxing and unnerving at the same time, and does a lovely fade into the title track, which is called 4th And Pine. This track is, by itself, a lovely and happy little pop tune with darker lyrics:
A shadow Well Christian, you've convinced me: Monster Movie is now officially the more interesting half of Slowdive. Period. Now that i have offered my little affirmation to the band, let me talk about my favorite song on the disc. It's the second track, and is called Shortwave. It is, quite frankly, be one of the poppiest toe-tappingest tunes i have heard in many a year. It features guitar phase shifted almost to the point of ridiculousness (it wavers back and forth between the channels almost dizzingly), light pianowork, a chiming guitar over the phase, and some fun little vocals. The lyrics are so fun to sing along with too:
I got a message from the underground Hmmm. It appears that this song too might be about being an unrecognized peon in someone else's band. I mean, let's face it, when you think Slowdive you think of Halstead and Goswell, not Savill! Apparently the poor boy has issues! He shouldn't though. Not if he can make music like this. It's lovely little pop, and i recommend it to anyone who likes bouncey music. Yes, that means you. Give it a listen. Help Christian Savill realize that he is a talented musician in his own right, and that he really shines now that he is out from under the burden of supporting Halstead and Goswell. If this is the type of music he had to offer, i wonder why it took seven years? It's a shame we had to wait this long! reviewed by: EvilSponge |
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Longing to occupy those distant, sepia-tinged musical corners of your mind, this album lovingly leads you by the hand back to times when indie was indie and everything seemed alright forever. Under the direction of former Slowdive-r Christian Savill and ex-Eternal (no, not that Eternal) member Sean Hewson, this Monster Movie casts excerpts from dozens of other bands into one act with ten scenes and a script which somehow seems destined to go straight to video when it deserves to grace a wider-screen and have at least a single red carpet rolled-out for it.
Conjuring images of the Cocteau Twins, Cinerama and Grandaddy in one moment and then the Delgados, Stereolab and Zephyrs in the next, this is like rummaging through your record collection and making a compilation of many parts of it that you love. It’s unfashionably lethargic pop music drenched under layers of detuned guitars, on ‘Shortwave’ it’s Brian Wilson armed with a cheap six-string and a malfunctioning keyboard produced by Stuart Braithwaite while on ‘Sleeping On A Train’, it’s a Teenage Fanclub cover of ‘Trans Europe Express’ re-recorded in Kings Cross by Belle and Sebastian. Inevitably lazy comparisons to shoegazing will follow but it’s much more than just that and while they may still be sneaking peaks towards their Doctor Martins, Monster Movie are also aiming to take in gentle glimpses of the stars. reviewed by: Ian Fletcher for Careless Talk Costs Lives |
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Although one should never assume, I would assume that Monster Movie took its name from Can's 1969 debut album of the same name. If this is true, then it is beneficial to Monster Movie that they also did not rip-off that German band's sound. What we have here is a two-piece made up of Christian Savill and Sean Hewson. But Monster Movie's music is far from stripped down. Guitars, bass, piano, synthesizers, and drums comprise most of the 10 songs. Monster Movie combines pop and shoegazer (a lot of reverb). One may be reminded of Low. Yes, Monster Movie is laid back in that Low respect, but Last Night Something Happened is far from boring. Rather, it is surprisingly gripping. And as a reference point, Christian Savill used to be a member of Slowdive before they disbanded. Fortunately, MM is not a clone of Slowdive. They are more melodic, more poppy. Still, if you were a fan of Slowdive, you ! can be sure that Monster Movie is right up your alley.
The atmospheric, shoegazer-with-organ instrumental "First Trip to the City" begins the album. My heart fell all warm inside as Brian Eno's Another Green World was brought to mind. This song is a cross between pop and ambient like the songs from that classic record. But the nine songs that follow do more than simply use the Eno formula (effectively, nonetheless). "Shortwave" starts out with a very Death Cab for Cutie feel, vocally. Then, however, the background chanting begins along with mid-paced, atmospheric humming. This song does bring to mind Enya, and not in a bad way. It is very beautiful. Christian Savill has a beautiful voice, singing, "Did your soul not shine / did your daytime turn into night / do you feel / like the days / are behind you." Echoing piano and repetitive drumming give "Home" an otherworldly sound. Wind blows as if the listener is placed in a scene from, well, a Monster Movie. But this movie is far more eerie than slasher. The monsters in this movie deceive, appearing as humans, until they make the kill. The movie continues a few songs later with "Star City." This song puts the listener at the scene of the crime, the day after the small-town family in the middle of nowhere was murdered. The sounds of a helicopter can be heard flying overhead. And Monster Movie provides the somber, slow piano soundtrack. But the uneasy movie scenes are interrupted by the finest song Last Night Something Happened has to offer: "Waiting." Coincidentally, I had a Cure CD along with Monster Movie's album in my 3-CD changer. When this song began and I heard whimsical, standout bass playing, I thought the player so! mehow switched to Disintegration. But then higher-pitched, a lot less British sounding, and perhaps more optimistic vocals kicked in. Now that I view "Waiting" as an entire song, it wouldn't fit on Disintegration, but it, by all accounts, matches the quality of the songs on that beast. The first song with a more dark than eerie feel to it is "Sleeping on a Train." A distorted and acoustic guitar work together to create a sound that doesn't seem to fit with the supernatural feeling that the rest of the album makes. "4th and Pine" is a poppier number in the vein of "Shortwave," where Savill's vocals echo, "Last night something happened / down on 4th and Pine." "Ooby" is the only song from this debut LP to appear on the preceding self-titled EP, and for good reason. Here we have the album's standout single, although Last Night Something Happened certainly is not a singles album. Over catchy synthesizer playing and fuzzy guitars, Savill sings the chorus, "Oh, well I know what we're thinking / moving to fast / we get a glimpse of it all / and maybe it's you / that is moving in circles / but I'm sure that this thing is built to last." Last Night Something Happened sounds familiar enough that the listener will be engaged on first listen. However, it also doesn't wear thin as it effectively combines elements of pop, ambient, and shoegazer. Where Slowdive's Souvlaki was so Eno-inspired that the man even produced the album and lent his hand to two tracks, Monster Movie's debut LP only shows hints of that Eno sound. What we have here is essentially a dream-pop album. To its advantage though, it feels new and special. It also creeps me out. reviewed by: Delusions of Adequacy |
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Having finally finished their full length follow up to their debut EP from last year, Monster Movie should be poised to establish themselves as more than a band that is mistakingly referred to as Oasis influenced shoegazers. Last Night Something Happened does little to step beyond the debut EP's material but considering the EP was quite brilliant in its own right, there's probably little need to reinvent the wheel this time around. This CD contains the same dreamy song structures, delicate melodies, backdrops of distortion and well contained feedback as the Ep did and simply offers another ten tracks (well, nine if you consider the fact that "Ooby" is reprised here) of excellent music. The CD offers a quite serene dose of atmospherics and truly gorgeous soundscapes as well as the ethereal, echoing vocals providing the melodies. Last Night Something Happened probably restrains the noisier jangles of the EP, but the essential dreampop nature of the music is compltely retained. A completely stellar and enjoyable full length debut, this CD is a fantastic follow up to a very enjoyable debut EP.
reviewed by: John Chedsey for Satan Stole My Teddybear |
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Monster Movie's Christian Savill used to be in Slowdive. As credentials go, that's hardly a license to print money, but it does create a distinct set of expectations, and Last Night Something Happened meets them nicely.
Unlike, say, Kevin Shields, Savill hasn't disappeared up his own arse in the years since the modest peak of his success; it's clear that he's still actively listening to music, for Last Night Something Happened is built on the sort of solid songwriting that brought Oasis to (admittedly temporary) prominence. Yes, Monster Movie's music is decorated with feedback and effects -- but unlike early shoegazer bands, who often assembled their songs from effect-intensive melodic fragments, Savill and Hewson start with a fully-formed song, adding the sonic gloss and filigree as decoration rather than substance. This is best demonstrated by "Shortwave", a stirring midtempo pop song that mixes Slowdive's dreaminess with the anthemic orch-pop grandeur of "Wonderwall"; take away the effects, take away the keyboards, strip the song down to voice and acoustic guitar and it would still be great. It's one of those marvelously cinematic sad songs -- the sort of tune that plays when a TV or movie character stands in the window, stoically watching the rain. Savill's vocals are the icing on the cake, as he proves that it's possible to slip in and out of a falsetto without sounding like a complete wuss. The mannered "Home" reinforces the Oasis resemblance, while also hinting that Hewson and Savill have owned and enjoyed their share of Queen albums. It's a conceptual similarity -- a series of abrupt and seemingly unconnected melodic shifts, linked and anchored by a common rhythm. "Waiting", by contrast, strips the fussy stuff from a typical shoegazer song, revealing a likeable (if slightly twee) pop song beneath the sonic gilding. Louise Hewson's vocals, accomplished if otherwise unremarkable, provide a nice counterpoint to Savill's singing, and round, plummy keyboard notes add polish to the melody. The instrumental "Star City" slathers rich keyboard ambience and a sad piano melody over radio voices and a rhythm that sounds suspiciously like the whirring of helicopter blades. As a conceptual shift, it's effective, but it's also a little too long, lowering the disc's energy level to a point where "4th and Pine", another woozy pop song, struggles to ignite, despite its gauzy feedback and a sinuous goth-style bass line. But Monster Movie has another ace up their collective sleeve -- "Ooby", which sounds like a big, strident, Weezer-style pop song recorded with a gypsy budget and aesthetic, delivering a "big" sound without actually trotting out the heavy, overproduced riffs. With this kind of a lead-in, "Winter is Coming" can easily deliver enough goth-inflected Britpop and solemn, new-wavy keyboard interludes to end the record on a majestic high note. Like Savill's work with Slowdive, portions of Last Night Something Happened will put you to sleep if you're already heading that way, but the album can be surprisingly energizing in the right situations. In this instance, we'll second the suggetion offered by the album cover art: Monster Movie is perfect for a long, lonely drive down a rainy, featureless highway. It'll never get you so worked up that you have to stop and visit the rest room, but eager anticipation of its most glorious moments will keep you from falling asleep at the wheel. reviewed by: George Zahora for Splendid |
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A duo featuring Sean Hewson of Eternal, who released a Sarah 7 inch, and Christian Savill of Slowdive, this has all the shoegazer swirl of those two bands, mixed with blissful pop melodies, heavenly female backing vocals provided by Louise Hewson, and a slow atmospheric approach to songcraft. Perfect rainy day listening fare; with lovely jangle pop songs like “Waiting” leading the way. The songs aren’t too long or too loud, and the mix creates an atmosphere of longing and peacefulness as you listen. There isn’t anywhere enough of this kind of melodic swirl around these days, but if this disc is any indication, the My Bloody Valentine crowd will adore this band.
reviewed by: Shredding Paper |
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Their self-titled debut EP merely hinted at the glory MONSTER MOVIE were capable of. 'Last Night' is an exquisitely-crafted set of touching and honest drone-pop-rock that can more than hold it's own against, well, just about anyone out there. Moody and atmospheric, this 10-track album doesn't simply rest on it's fine pedigree (ex-members of SLOWDIVE are present here). New vistas are explored with the more experimental, electronic soundscapes of 'Home'. 'Waiting' features dual male/female vox, with the lovely Louise Hewson's soft accents lifting the track skywards. 'Sleeping On A Train' shows a slightly more driving, rhythmic touch, all the while staying true to the band's most agreeable 60s-meets-2000s guitar-based sound. Indeed, this MONSTER MOVIE shouldn't scare anyone away, with it's sweet melodies, tight musicianship and production. Simply a wonderful release tailormade for those into stuff like MY BLOODY VALENTINE or SPIRITUALIZED.
reviewed by: Godsend Online |
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Monster Movie is actually a duo consisting of Christian Savill and Sean Hewson. Fans may recognize Christian from his days with slowcore band Slowdive, and there’s more than a little Slowdive influence to be found on this record. Thick synth lines and electronics abound in every song, which combined with the general dreaminess of the singing make for a very relaxed atmosphere indeed. This CD is full of great songs, from the instrumental “First Trip To The City” to “Sleeping On A Train” to the final track, “Winter Is Coming.” This CD is great to drive through the snow late at night to (just make sure you’re not too sleepy), or just chill out in your room with. If you like My Bloody Valentine, The Autumns, or the aforementioned Slowdive, this will be right up your alley.
reviewed by: Michael A Cavagnaro for Action Attack Helicopter |
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Although Halstead is the former Slowdive member currently receiving the most attention in light of his new solo record, Christian Savill has remained active as well, recording with Sean Hewson as Monster Movie. Cross his previous work, the pop-gospel of Spiritualized, and not particularly strong songwriting, and you get this, their debut album. The Slowdive factor is evident with the pretty male and female vocal harmonies and dirgy guitar. It's an admirable effort, and by no means an unpleasant record, but unfortunately, something just isn't clicking here. The general lack of charisma despite the obvious skilled musicianship of Savill and Hewson smacks of some of the more mediocre '90s Brit pop bands. In terms of production, 'Last Night' is a knockout: undeniably dynamic and very well assembled, but it could benefit from the talents of a seasoned songwriter to balance everything out.
reviewed by: Jessica Tibbits for Brainwashed |
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