Monrad – The Game (2024)
Known as the “Belgian Leonard Cohen”, singer-songwriter Matthew Ramon (performing as Monrad) brings profound lyricism to moving melodies. For most of his twenties, he lost himself in a world of surf-punk as part of an instrumental, reverb-drenched band; however, he took a breath and began working on original solo material. With the support of Filip Tanghe, Monrad found, nurtured and honed his sound leading to the release of his 2021 album Wired. We looked at the title song from Wired; sadly, that was the last we heard of Monrad, but he’s back!
After three years of building his craft and “intensifying his collaboration with Filip Tanghe”, Monrad returns with his new single, ‘The Game’. A precursor to his upcoming six-song EP Not by design – set for release in November 2024 – ‘The Game’ is an indulgent layering of various rock styles in a funnel of classic rock. Twinkles of synths capture a hint of psychedelic rock, while the bold drums and soaring guitar hit alternative rock tones, then you have pockets of airier indie-rock carefully placed in the heavy grind of 80s/90s rock.
Alright, I used the word “rock” a lot in the last paragraph but, ultimately, Monrad’s music pushes at the boundaries of rock almost bursting through yet contained in a classic rock-inspired wrapper. For me, listening to the single is like treading along a hazy forest path with kaleidoscopic lights blinking in the dark. With his gruff vocals, Monrad holds your hand as he guides you like a friend standing by your side through thick and thin.
While the melody is intriguing and complex on its own, ‘The Game’ is far more than an intriguing melody in its profound message. Monrad explains:
“At some point in time, we all look and long for some steadiness, a sense of belonging and place. But when it is there, we start realising it is not always easy or fair; it is repetitive, more of the same, day in, day out, full of responsibilities. ‘The Game’ talks about that point in life when you start accepting you are part of that everydayness… We somehow wanted it, we longed for it, we are part of the game now. Own it.”
Find out more about Monrad on his official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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