Album: Boundary
Artist: Mono Moon
Genre: #indie #indiepop #indierock
Sub-Genres: #bedroompop #alternative #
Label: Mono Moon Music
Non-Airable Tracks: All Better, Phase, Hijack
Mono Moon, also known as Zach Sutton from the indie band Hippo Campus, released "Boundary" as a way to establish his own unique sound. There are subtle hints of familiarity to Hippo Campus scattered around, but this solo project is no where near unoriginal. There is a mixture of indie pop tracks such as "One Liner", "Hijack", "Phase", and "All Better", but the others reflect more of a soft pop sound that hold more emotion. Needless to say, I was very surprised by how well this album sounded because Sutton ended up being the last member in the band to branch out and try solo work.
Sutton is the bass player in Hippo Campus and normally provides backup vocals for their songs, so hearing what his voice has to offer was very refreshing. The track "Hijack" has been my favorite on the album for over a month now, and the chorus reminds me a lot of the song "Fair Game" by Dayglow. That song is the only one I can connect to the indie pop artist, but it's probably why my dad and I were immediately drawn to it (he and I are huge Hippo Campus and Dayglow fans, by the way). Besides that, this song feels like the perfect memory that you could curate with your best friend, or when you truly find someone who you connect with.
The most popular song off the album is "One Liner", and it's what Mono Moon used to tease the release of "Boundary". Although I said "Hijack" is my favorite track, this is a close second because it made me realize just how talented Sutton is. This is a go-to song when I'm walking to class, and it's one that always puts me in a good mood even when I just want to take a nap. The chorus is very catchy and shares the ability to be stuck in your head for the rest of the day like most Hippo Campus songs have which is impressive.
Needless to say, this album is on par with the new indie that has been entering the music verse. It has such a variety of different subgenres of indie music that can find a home in any playlist of those who have a taste for something new. I look forward to finding out whether Mono Moon will release more music or limit his solo project to one album. However, I feel as if there is a lot of potential that can be used to make another eye-opening release of some sort.
Sounds Like:
Hippo Campus
Arlie
Brotherkenzie
Recommended Tracks
Hijack
One Liner
All Better
Reviewer Name: Elizabeth McCluskey
Date of Review: February 1, 2023