To the Moon

When the UK's Monster Movie graced us with their first full-length, Last Night Something Happened, in early 2002, one critic dubbed them "hideous boymen with a very secret but very beautiful plan for this world." Two years later, this plan continues to develop and unfold to glorious effect via their second LP, To the Moon. The heady yields of Christian Savill and Sean Hewson's working relationship prove that vital songwriting duos are alive and well in contemporary rock 'n' roll. Having ended a frustrating yearlong delay caused by an ill-timed artwork-related imbroglio, To the Moon is poised for takeoff. An album of celestial wonder and expanse, To the Moon soars to stratospheric altitudes via volcanic bursts of guitar distortion and delay. Darkly-introspective lyrics, whose scope encompasses everything from arctic stars to ellipsis, reveal rare emotional depth and candor. As Pitchfork's Christopher Dare summarized, "It's clear that the album's meant to be a traveler's diversion, so maybe you'll enjoy it as a detour from your next trip to Souvlaki Space Station." If To the Moon leaves you wanting more, as it likely will, take heart: Monster Movie will also be issuing a mini-album called Transistor on the Chicago-based Graveface Records later this year. Until then, take time to go To The Moon, and discover what these "hideous boymen" are capable of when they set their sights on the far reaches of space.