Hey Monea!
Cheap Souvenirs
Reviewed by: Stephen Krock
In an increasingly Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters and Men world, it’s no surprise to hear more pleasant offerings from Hey Monea! What’s so refreshing about Hey Monea!, however, is their comfort skirting the edges of post-punk. Making them the folksy alterna-band that could probably beat up the other alterna-bands.
They have the obligatory strong harmonies and upbeat folk rhythms in “Adeline” and “When We Kiss.” They have the edge in the punked out “Sweetness.” But they have such theatricality, such in the piano-laden “Pollyanna” and the epic “Stay,” that sets them above the rest. There is a jack of all trades talent within Hey Monea! that is downright vaudevillian, for lack of a better word. They’re cabaret rock stars that could keep any crowd pleased. Be it rowdy, barroom brawlers or jaded elitists. The only thing I can compare it to is Panic! At the Disco’s vastly underrated Pretty. Odd.
Cheap Souvenirs is an old timey, beachside roller coaster of an album. A marvel of ingenuity masked in classic, unadulterated fun.
Rating: Badass
