Hey Monea! - Wine, Women and Song Album Review

The genesis of Hey Monea! can be traced to 2005 when brothers Danny and Nate Monea stepped outside of their religious upbringing to pursue a passion for rock. Though this record was originally released in 2009, attention to the group has been stirred after they won a global competition and found themselves on the undercard to Bruce Springsteen at Hard Rock Calling.

Opening track 'Until Then' introduces HM! very much in the pop-punk mould - bouncy guitars and a bouncy chorus - without delivering much substance and the same can be said of 'Stay For The Summer' on which a likeness to The Academy Is. can be found. This turns out to be a red-herring though, with the swooning 'Ballad Of Moonbeam Swinger' and country-tinged 'Caroline' showing that the band have a knack for a catchy melody across different genres. The intensity of 'Selling My Soul' and laidback stroll of 'Paper Moon' couldn't be much further apart, yet both are enjoyable tunes and give a great balance to this mini-album. Certainly worth investigating, religion's loss is very much music's gain in the case of Hey Monea!