skymonk - skymonk

Skymonk

Skymonk
self-released; 2014

3.5 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

The three-piece band Skymonk consisting of Kelly Nash (vocals, guitar), Scott Roberts (bass) and Ben Evans (drums) is making their presence known. They started rocking out venues in Columbia, SC and also recently released a short yet good introduction to the band through a self-titled three song EP Skymonk. With this EP the band establishes themselves as a well-versed rock band but also hints at other possibilities.

They kick off the EP with an upbeat well-written rock song entitled “Stop Looking At Me.” The music on the verse reminded me of The Smiths as the bass line contains fills you might hear from Andy Rourke. Nash’s guitar line is fairly straightforward revolving around a couple of simple but effective chord progressions. The verse is solid but the chorus is the hook. Nash sings “Stop looking at me that way You're just telling me lies Stop looking at me that way.” The song is not particularly innovative but is well written and immediately establishes that the band has chemistry.

The second track “So Low” has a ‘80s rock vibe but veers more towards the sound of The Replacements than hair metal. Nash’s voice sounds good throughout but I thought it sounded especially strong when he seemed to be perfectly within his range during the verse.

They close with a track called “Matchless,” which trades their electric guitars for acoustic and then relies on more tom drums than before to create an almost tribal atmosphere. The song has some resemblance to something you would hear from Rusted Root. I liked the festive energy and that the band wasn’t afraid to create something with a rather drastic deviation from the previous material. 

The EP is a good start but doesn't contain enough music to get a complete assessment of the band. Some of it felt a bit dated but some of it felt inspired. This is a case of wait and see but if I was a betting man I would say there are good things to come. 

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