Monk Turner - Kaleidoscope

 - Vancouver, British Columbia - I haven't heard much Monk Turner and only heard about him a while ago when fellow music writer Jacke Karashae reviewed his album Emergency Songs here on Sour Grapes. I listened and also enjoyed that album, but didn't really look into his music much beyond that. Well, he has now released a new album and because Jacke Karashae helped work on the album, it was decided that his opinion was no longer objective enough to give this review. So, here I am, attempting to give my full-on honest feedback about the album. Are you all ready?

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Monk Turner and Fascinoma - Emergency Songs

 - San Francisco, California - Odd as it may seem, sometimes self-imposed artistic limitations can fuel artistic creativity. Setting restrictions in theme, story, or style can force one to delve deeper into the potential of what he has to create a work much more intriguing than it might be otherwise. A common tool of restriction that artists use is the concept album, which loosely refers to an album that is constrained by a particular idea, story, or theme. Story-based concept albums include The Wall by Pink Floyd. Theme-based works include Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois and Michigan, which both revolve around a specific U.S. state. The album Emergency Songs by Fascinoma and Monk Turner is a blend of these two styles; each song tells the story of a particular individual’s story, but all of the individuals share a common location and cataclysmic event. The thematic and musical elements of Emergency Songs are nothing short of superb; aside from a limited number of mix issues, the album shines as a concept album and an exploration of the pettiness and frailty of modern society in the context of a natural disaster.

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