Fight with monsters - Blue Part One: Blue/blue Part Two: Red

Fight with Monsters

Blue Part One: Blue /Blue Part Two: Red
self-released; 2014

3.4 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Ryan Caldwell and Ryan Worthy are the duo that makeup Fight with Monsters. The guys released an ambitious if somewhat disjointed two-part release entitled Blue Part One: Blue and Blue Part Two: Red. Blue Part One: Blue revolves around melancholy indie rock (aside from “Ms. Aspartame”) while Blue Part Two: Red focuses on upbeat, energetic rock/ska. 

There are a number a decent songs here unfortunately the lo-fi production doesn't always work to the bands advantage and takes away from the visceral impact of the music. 

Blue Part One: Blue opens with “Resting My Eyes,” which is a somber indie rock tune that combines atmospheric guitars with foundational drums and bass. The vocalist has an attractive warm voice that works well with the mood of the music. He sings “I lay here sedated pressed against my bed / My pillow holds me softly caressing my head. / My legs are made of heavy stone, I haven't got the torque, / The torque to move them but it’s time to get to work.” The climax of the song comes right after a the three-minute mark when the vocalist’s sustained yowl “open anymore” transitions into the most rocking part of the song which consists of a soloing guitar. 

“Fine” is a rather standard indie rock tune that you may or may not notice while “Ms. Aspartame” feels completely separated from the other three tracks. “Ms. Aspartame” has horns and combines a western saloon vibe with scit- scattering vocals. It sounded reminiscent of the 90’s band Sublime.

They close Blue Part One: Blue with “Swim,” which is the most melancholy and slow song. The vocalist hypnotically repeats the phrase “and I swim” over and over and over again. 

Blue Part 2: Red opens with a strong upbeat song called “Heart To Deny,” which is followed by the bluesy “Quicksand.” ”Panicking” is arguably the highlight and most accomplished song amongst both releases. It has a couple of decent hooks that may get stuck in your head. The whistling part is on point. 

Caldwell and Worthy have some talent but with this two-part release they put the efforts into too many styles and genres. As you listen through the songs the feel is so inconsistent that it just leaves you confused. Hopefully, on their next release they can focus their talents into making some sort of foundation so fans can have even somewhat of an idea of what to expect from them. 

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