Monkey Swallows The Universe
The Bright Carvings

This album was already reviewed last November by the good Ginopilotino, but strangely it has found no resonance among the sophisticated Debaserian minds. Let's see if it will have more luck on the second attempt or if it will remain a gem reserved for the fans of indie pop. "The Bright Carving" is the debut album of MSdU, a band from Sheffield, and it reveals a talent and freshness that's hard to find in the current UK scene.

When a grey mood grips us and it rains outside, when we want to unplug and relax with something warm and soft, when we are fed up with electric, synthetic or plastic sounds, that's when the monkey surprisingly comes into our homes to digest the universe that oppresses us, with a disarming simplicity that makes us shout for a miracle. Here, there's no sign of special effects, everything is exquisitely pure and human, no manipulations or machinations, just spontaneity and healthy craftsmanship. Strictly acoustic guitars, wind instruments, strings, and a female voice (at times similar in style to Cat Power's) are the main ingredients of this genuine product, prepared according to traditional musical recipes, light years away from the modern "GMO" concoctions that bastardize today's shelves from which we draw like we are remote-controlled.

The opening "Sheffield Shanty" is a dedication to the native city, rainy and melancholic, sweetened by the gentle notes of slide guitar and xylophone; the following "Martin" features the appearance of drums, while the voice draws a melody with irresistible appeal. "Jimmy Down The Well" is a merry folk tune that sweeps the clouds from the sky, "Down" instead leads us back to rainy territories covered with yellowing leaves, "Fonz You!" is the happiest and lightest song of the bunch, to whistle and dance to during spring picnics, the final "Beautiful Never" is a beautiful ballad that gently accompanies us along the exit avenue, where we are secretly awaited by the off-key and ungraceful voice of the gardener (or stableman, who knows?) who also wants to tell us his story before the universe starts rumbling in the stomach again.

So, if you haven't done so yet, give the monkey a chance, you will see it will not disappoint you, at most you can put it away in the closet, waiting for the next winter, assuming that winter still exists.