sadeyes – monarch | Album Review

In a world where genre crossovers are becoming more prominent by the day, it can become an arduous task to source through the grit in search of some gold. With the new release via Epitaph records, you’ll only need a few seconds to tell you’re onto a winner.

Sadeyes takes the innermost thoughts of Portland based writer Nathan Lewis and projects it out onto a canvas of emotive beats and lyrics straight from first hand experience in order to create something that is undoubtedly unique. Combining traditional lo-fi samples, alternative tones and enough autotune to make Post Malone cry – the debut full length Monarch is definitely a body of work to set critics fighting it out head to head in a battle of correct opinions. 

Hyperpop is the new sensation sweeping the globe, and it’s certainly a strong flavour at that. Fortunately for those that aren’t as keen, these specific elements act more as undertones throughout the aforementioned record. Clocking in at 33 minutes of playtime and a notable 14 tracks in length, sadeyes uses monarch to take his fanbase on a journey from his own perspective. Each song contains a distinct melancholy edge, certainly doing the artist’s stage name justice and making it difficult to pin down if the entire record is one continuous narrative, or if each song is a confessional storyline in its own right. The album’s second track featuring heavy hitters Lil Extra & Nothing, Nowhere is in no doubt one of the album’s high points. With a video shot in true DIY style, ‘i’m not okay’ sums up its artists characteristics in one smooth two & a half minute delivery. Feeling like you’re stuck in a rut with each day feeling like one consistent loop is a feeling most of us are familiar with at some point in our lives, and sadeyes uses this track as his own catharsis to exercise this particular demon. It’s well crafted and relatable, and each lyric rings out with a razor sharp honesty.

As far as features go monarch certainly has its fair share, with DaystoWaste, guccihighwaters & powfu all making appearances throughout. With a catalogue of stellar appearances it can sometimes take the spotlight away from the record’s creator, so it’s important to stress that each snippet of material has come from the mind of just one man. Heartbreak, mental strain, and loss are all common themes throughout, and the excellent production across ‘monarch’ as a whole really brings these characteristics to life. The two minute marvel ‘Poison’ contains a subtle intro that’s almost tangible, rivalled only by ‘hi thru’ which brings up the rear instantly as the 8th track in line. 

It’s the textures interwoven across the entire record that makes this album so interesting. Sadeyes as a composer has left no stone unturned, and even if the sonics aren’t quite your cup of tea, there is no denying the sheer amount of graft that has been poured into hours and hours of intense labour. 

With a career spanning almost five years, it’s easy to forget that in musical terms this is very much a project in its infancy. Collating over 24 singles and two EPs is no mean feat, but it’s here on monarch where sadeyes has really started to shine.