Rating: 4/5 stars
The alt music scene is in for a very reflective treat by K. Flay (“Inside Voices / Outside Voices”) whose newest album “MONO” dropped on Sept. 15. On this record, the singer details her jarring experience of losing all hearing in her right ear and bids a subpar lover farewell. Flay was diagnosed last year with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and labyrinthitis (SSNHL), “which is basically when a virus gets inside your ear canal and attacks the hair cells,” Flay tweeted.
On the cover of “MONO” Flay can be seen stuffed into an ornate box, with just her head sticking out and a Van Gogh-esque bandage on her right ear. It is her longest album yet with 15 tracks, and arguably the one that best demonstrates her range as an artist. From pure linguistic mastery to gorgeous, harmonious instrumentals, Flay shows that she can offer so much more than her radio hits.
“MONO” opens with what anyone’s first thought would be after becoming partially deaf: “Are You Serious?” gets straight to the point and pays no interest to the niceties of politeness. She interpolates this track with its answer, “Yes I’m Serious” to the delight of any slam poetry fans awaiting fresh verbiage from her.
In nearly every track, Flay screams and flails about vocally however she sees fit and it totally works. Some tracks do come off as too loud, though, which are missed opportunities for Flay to showcase her softer notes. Then again, that likely is the point of tracks such as “Irish Goodbye” featuring Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil (“The Jaws of Life”). The vocals at the end of the song are purposely distorted and very high on the volume dial because as Flay quickly dumps her lover in the song, listeners are left standing alone too.
This album is all about Flay letting her audience feel what she is feeling with the loss of her hearing, but also hinting at an era of independence. In “Hustler,” Flay laments betrayal by a lover who cast her aside. She allows herself to feel this sadness but lets “Irish Goodbye” act as her own form of closure.
Flay has been in the business long enough to understand how to balance songs so that each one is unique. Her ability to essentially give her audience a split-audio experience is most apparent in the song “Bar Soap,” where Flay goes from “the only thing that’s real is right now,” to the pleasantly delicate riff of “that’s what they say, that’s what they say.”
While it is hard to choose a favorite, “In America” is the most upbeat and addicting song of them all. Not only is it fun to listen to, but it offers some pretty direct satirical commentary on the social culture of our nation. Many lines could be considered controversial, but the bridge is where this energy is the strongest. Flay sings, “Kickball in the suburbs/Jesus freaks and hunters/Attention future mothers/Make him wear a rubber.” Rhythmic and foreboding, a combination that hardly ever fails. If you are in the mood for angst and lyrics that stun and shock, give this one a listen.
Image from K. Flay via Twitter.com
