Four piece, Life in Mono, have unleashed a double A-side that showcases their dark, moody, and emotionally melodic side.
When I first listened to the two tracks, it was on a dark gray day and the music fit the weather to a tee. Even their press photo fits the music to a tee. (I love the visual and audio cohesiveness.)
Drawn to one another by a shared artistic vision in 2019, Adam DT (bass) and Sarah Clayton (vocals, guitar, keys) would be joined by James Davis (guitar) and Mike Gill (drums) and Life in Mono would soon be born.
“Blackout” and “Sex to White Noise” follow their earlier 2022 releases, “Smile for the Camera” and “Cold”.
Of the A-side releases, Sarah says,
They are an exploration of the contrast between feeling empty and numb yet full of rage at the same time. These two tracks have always come as a pair, the early workings of Blackout launched into the riff from Sex to White Noise but it became apparent that it had legs to become something quite remarkable in its own right.
The band recorded “Blackout” and “Sex to White Noise” back to back in one live take. The band says this of that 11 minutes of magic,
It’s how we’ve always recorded and it feels organic, authentic and the best representation of us as a band.
While the tracks can be listened separately and in any order one should choose, they are best experienced by listening to “Blackout” first and the “Sex to White Noise”.
The songs are the yin and yang of each and they flow seamlessly and smoothly into each other. If listened as a pair, the listener can experience the full range of emotions the band has crafted with the two songs.
Sarah says this about the dynamic duo of songs,
Blackout is about people in your life that you know are no good for you but are hard to give up, whereas Sex To White Noise is about trying to find a connection that makes you feel something when you’re feeling really numb. If you’ve ever been on Prozac you’ll know! The contrast of light and dark have become synonymous with our sound and Sex To White Noise really plays on that super delicate verse and a huge, heavy chorus. What’s great about playing it live is for an audience who haven’t heard it before they don’t know what’s coming, but we do. Perhaps they don’t expect us to get that heavy but when we do it’s like the whole room is on fire.
In both songs, Sarah’s vocals are filled with a confidence that includes tinges of sadness. Her voice is hauntingly beautiful.
There’s a seductive ease to Adam’s bass in “Blackout” that is subtle, dark, and moody and it pairs beautifully with the drums. They are the yin and yang within the song and the guitar within the song is one that will embed itself into your ears and stay. Musically, the song is breathtaking.
As “Blackout” flawlessly transitions into “Sex to White Noise”, the music, once dark and groovy, becomes dark and intense. The guitars, drums, and bass are amplified and aggressive as Sarah lyrically and vocally holds the song together for powerhouse of a song.
Both songs are wonderful apart, but together, the listener gets to experience 11 minutes of raw power.
Life in Mono’s double A-side of “Blackout” and “Sex to White Noise” is now available wherever you get your music fix or listen below.
