“Not By Design” is the latest release by Monrad, an exceptional Belgian singer-songwriter based in Kortrijk. Heavily promoted by “Not Yet,” “Caught Up,” and “The Game,” three incredible songs that will immediately grab your attention, this marvelous extended play consists of six marvelous compositions, suitable for anyone looking for cleverly assembled and flawlessly composed music. Lyrically, Monrad examines themes such as love, relationships, friendship, various sentiments, moods, situations, and circumstances, so it’s a highly relatable EP that will reverberate with the broader auditorium. Soundwise, his music explores several complementary music genres to illustrate such luxuriant sonic imagery. Perhaps alternative rock comes to mind first, but you’ll certainly notice how some of the finest properties borrowed from indie rock, synth rock, and indie pop found their way into this sonic equation. All these additional elements serve as more than necessary enhancements that uplift these compositions on an entirely new level while the artist remains loyal to the primary sonic direction. Therefore, these experimentations with complementary styles resulted in a beautiful material that will resonate with even the pickiest listeners.
As soon as you press play, the marvelous vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuvers grab you by the collar and refuse to let go long after the last song ends. It’s more than obvious that Monrad poured heart and soul into this material, as each composition arrives with the perfect structure, adorned with many detailed segments, impressive ideas, and marvelous musicianship. This marvelous EP commences with “On Fire,” a calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal alternative rock track garnered with catchy, memorable, engaging synth leads, melodies, harmonies, and sequences. These synth maneuvers serve as a backdrop for all the vocal maneuvers to shine upon while the guitar spices things up and enhances everything on another level. Monrad’s raspy, whispery, balanced vocal harmonies perfectly float over low, mid, and high notes while the back vocals and singalongs help him out in delivering those marvelous melodies. The rhythm section also plays a significant role here, as all those profoundly detailed basslines and rhythmic patterns keep everything in line while dictating groove and tempo. It’s a perfectly assembled alt-rock composition that will appeal to even the pickiest listeners and beyond. “Not Yet” continues at the same pace and it’s one of those marvelous tracks where Monrad explores synth, psych, and indie rock aesthetics. The interplay between reverby, tremolo-driven chord progressions, and outstanding keys creates such an otherwordly ambiance, immediately grabbing the attention. It’s also one of those songs where you can vividly hear Monrad’s dedication to the craft, as each note and beat shines with years of experience, knowledge, skills, and talent. Besides his recognizable voice, you’ll notice some other interesting vocal arrangements where male and female vocals enhance particular segments. It’s a cleverly written and composed track that demonstrates his songwriting abilities.
This epic EP release continues with “Caught Up,” one of the standalone singles released this year. It’s a slightly faster number where all those reverby, echoic, almost surf rock-inspired themes pervade from all the possible sides. The comprehensive collection of themes, melodies, harmonies, arpeggiated, and regular chord progressions continuously floats around while the synths deliver nearly sequenced leads. These collisions between synths and guitars sound so beautiful that you’ll gladly repeat this marvelous song. The tastefully measured dosages of distortion provide a touch of rawness, abrasiveness, and gritting while the crispy clear synths lurk around. This contrast works to the advantage of the song’s ambiance, making it such a pleasant listening experience. “Whatever It Takes” arrives with a slightly cold, darker tone, showcasing the other side of Monrad’s sound. Still, you’ll notice how the artist skillfully transits to more peaceful, cheerful, beautiful choruses where his vocals perfectly align with the back vocals. These transitions from darker to more cheerful segments demonstrate his ability to craft compositions for any mood, situation, and circumstance. It’s also nearly mindblowing how her stacks layer complex synth melodies together, creating a complex yet easy-listening ambiance. “Rumble” is coming up next, resonating with such an otherwordly atmosphere, achieved by blending the fundamentals of indie rock with some other complementary styles, like indie pop, synth pop, and synth wave. This style suits him well, as he demonstrates a slightly different sound that simultaneously goes together with the remainder of the material. It’s one of the standouts from this material that will immediately become your go-to song whenever you crave calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal music. This magnificent EP closes with “The Game,” a fine piece of sonic artistry that carries some of the finest guitar and synth works. It skillfully blends nostalgic eighties and nineties indie rock and synth-pop sounds while delivering a modern ambiance that meets all the current trends in music production. You’ll notice even the tiniest details and nuances, carefully implemented into the song’s core. It’s such an outstanding piece that will force you to spin this beautiful extended play over again.
Monrad created a synth-inspired alternative rock masterpiece with his latest EP. “Not By Design” carries six incredible songs that vividly showcase his songwriting and composing abilities, while paying homage to eighties, nineties, and contemporary music. His knowledge, experience, and skills resonate through each vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuvers. It’s a pleasant, ear-appealing music delivered by one of the finest singer-songwriters you could stumble upon on the contemporary alternative rock scene, and you should place “Not By Design” on your radar as soon as possible. The EP is available on all streaming platforms. Don’t miss it!
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