{"id":9067,"date":"2025-06-04T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/?p=9067"},"modified":"2025-06-04T12:22:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T17:22:35","slug":"a-stunning-surprise-jazz-pop-craftsmanship-done-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/a-stunning-surprise-jazz-pop-craftsmanship-done-right\/","title":{"rendered":"A Stunning Surprise: Jazz-Pop Craftsmanship Done Right"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MUSIC REVIEW<\/strong>
\nMonkey House – Crashbox<\/strong>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Genre: <\/strong>Jazz, Rock, Pop, R&B
\nYear Released:<\/strong> 2025
\nRuntime: <\/strong>53m
\nWhere to Listen:<\/strong> will be released on June 6, 2025, via Alma Records; pre-order your copy here:\u00a0www.shopalmarecords.com\/<\/a>, www.mvdshop.com<\/a>, or www.amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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RAVING REVIEW:\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>CRASHBOX caught me completely off guard\u2014in the best possible way. I wasn\u2019t familiar with Monkey House before this, but after just one spin, I wondered how I\u2019d gone this long without hearing them. This isn\u2019t just background music for jazz-pop enthusiasts\u2014it\u2019s a fully realized, finely crafted record that blends brains, groove, and heart into something genuinely exciting. If this is your first impression of the band, like it was for me, you\u2019re in for a treat.<\/p>\n

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The moment the first track kicks in, it\u2019s clear you\u2019re in the hands of pros. The arrangements are tight but never claustrophobic, the melodies are smart without being showy, and every track has the space to breathe and grow into itself. It\u2019s hard to pin it to a single genre; jazz, pop, and soft rock influences swirl together fluidly and effortlessly.<\/p>\n

What makes the album even more impressive is how it maintains a sense of playfulness and warmth while still being complex. A track like \u201cSomeplace on Madison\u201d glides along with a charm, casually inviting listeners into its easygoing rhythm. It\u2019s a standout single that perfectly balances sophistication and accessibility, and it doesn\u2019t hurt that it\u2019s catchy as hell.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the title track, \u201cCrashbox,\u201d which takes a sharper tone. It\u2019s spacier and more urgent, riffing on the overstimulation of modern life and media chaos. But rather than falling into cynicism, the song channels that anxiety into something fun. That balance between reflection and levity is something the album handles again and again with real finesse.<\/p>\n

Another favorite is \u201cSundaying,\u201d a song that captures the serenity of a lazy weekend without drifting. Its laid-back vibe is built on subtle instrumental textures and a light touch that makes you want to let the track loop indefinitely. On the other end of the spectrum, \u201cWhat\u2019s Left of This World\u201d explores heavier ideas but wraps them in a funky, engaging sound that keeps things moving.<\/p>\n

Even the more introspective moments, like the piano ballad \u201cDisappear in Plain Sight,\u201d hit with sincerity. It adds emotional range and gives the album a moment to reflect, right when it needs one. The track has a unique feel that allows it to hold its own while feeling right at home.<\/p>\n

Breithaupt deserves credit, not just as the band\u2019s frontman but as the architect behind the sound. From songwriting to arranging, his fingerprints are all over CRASHBOX. But what makes it work so well is the chemistry of the whole group. Guitarist Justin Abedin, bassist Pat Kilbride, and drummer Mark Kelso form an incredibly tight core without sounding rigid. They do it with such natural ease that it\u2019s easy to forget how complex the composition of contributors here is, and it also elevates the experience without taking it over. Whether it\u2019s the vibrant horn work from Michael Leonhart or smooth guitar lines from Drew Zingg, everyone seems to know exactly when to step forward and when to blend into the background. The same goes for vocalists Michael Dunston and Selena Evangeline, who add warmth and texture in just the right places.<\/p>\n

From the chilled pulse of \u201cFeeling You Breathe\u201d to the energy of \u201cFriday Night Jam,\u201d this kind of album doesn\u2019t just play\u2014it plays well with others. You could throw this on at a dinner party, dig into it with headphones on a quiet night, or even soundtrack a short road trip. It\u2019s versatile without losing its identity, and that\u2019s no small feat.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t speak to how CRASHBOX compares to Monkey House\u2019s earlier albums, but as a newcomer, I can confidently say this release stands tall on its own. It\u2019s rare to stumble upon a band this seasoned that still sounds fresh and engaged. And if you appreciate thoughtful lyrics and arrangements that reward listening, there is a lot of polish here, but it\u2019s also full of heart. And that\u2019s probably what surprised me most: how personal and human the album feels, even at its most intricate. It never becomes sterile. Instead, it draws you in and holds your attention, not with bombast, but with craft and charm. CRASHBOX is a gem\u2014accessible enough for new listeners, complex enough to impress seasoned fans, and good enough to make me want to explore everything Monkey House has done.<\/p>\n

Track Listing:<\/strong>
\nReturn of the Mayfly
\nSomeplace On Madison
\nCrashbox
\nDisappear in Plain Sight
\nWhat’s Left Of This World
\nSundaying
\nSmoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em
\nBring The Stars Down
\nYou Just Don’t Know It Yet
\nChasing The Muse
\nFriday Night Jam
\nFeeling You Breathe<\/p>\n

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[photo courtesy of ALMA RECORDS, MVD ENTERTAINMENT]<\/em><\/p>\n

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MUSIC REVIEW Monkey House – Crashbox \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Genre: Jazz, Rock, Pop, R&B Year Released: 2025 Runtime: 53m Where to Listen: will be released on June 6, 2025, via Alma Records; pre-order your copy here:\u00a0www.shopalmarecords.com\/, www.mvdshop.com, or www.amazon.com RAVING REVIEW:\u00a0CRASHBOX caught me completely off guard\u2014in the best possible way. I wasn\u2019t familiar with Monkey House before […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pre-order"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9067"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9074,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9067\/revisions\/9074"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}