"We haven't practiced in two and a half months," said Monomyth's Josh Salter.
No big deal: band members living apart can't always rehearse easily. Plus, indie rock and amateurism are old bedfellows, and the two always feel especially comfortable together on the tiny stage at Halifax's Gus' Pub. And there's no question that a band like Monomyth get a good deal of mileage out of keeping things loose and seemingly tossed-off. (This is a band that has a song called "Faces Magazine," after all, an ironic ode to Halifax's party-photo rag sheet that feels like it was written and recorded in minutes.)
Monomyth have pop chops, though, evidenced in both their catchy, jangle-heavy songs like "Candleholder" or sharper, punchier ones like "Cigarette." Vocalists Salter and Seamus Dalton both have an ear for weaving simple melodies around their focused guitar riffs, which stake their place in the long lineage of Velvet Underground-influenced off-kilter rock. Their concise 40-minute set had plenty of earworm moments that made one wish the more ramshackle parts were slightly more put together.
It was doubtlessly fun, though, especially when the band invited old band members up on stage to dance around and join in the festivities. "These are our Flavor Flavs," said Salter, and while the set may not have been completely worthy of such hype, it was entertaining regardless.
No big deal: band members living apart can't always rehearse easily. Plus, indie rock and amateurism are old bedfellows, and the two always feel especially comfortable together on the tiny stage at Halifax's Gus' Pub. And there's no question that a band like Monomyth get a good deal of mileage out of keeping things loose and seemingly tossed-off. (This is a band that has a song called "Faces Magazine," after all, an ironic ode to Halifax's party-photo rag sheet that feels like it was written and recorded in minutes.)
Monomyth have pop chops, though, evidenced in both their catchy, jangle-heavy songs like "Candleholder" or sharper, punchier ones like "Cigarette." Vocalists Salter and Seamus Dalton both have an ear for weaving simple melodies around their focused guitar riffs, which stake their place in the long lineage of Velvet Underground-influenced off-kilter rock. Their concise 40-minute set had plenty of earworm moments that made one wish the more ramshackle parts were slightly more put together.
It was doubtlessly fun, though, especially when the band invited old band members up on stage to dance around and join in the festivities. "These are our Flavor Flavs," said Salter, and while the set may not have been completely worthy of such hype, it was entertaining regardless.