Little Mono have been on the periphery of my vision for quite some time (I reviewed one of their singles back in 2014). They released their debut album “Sailing Songs” a few weeks ago, and on this occasion I’m definitely late to the game as this is the first chance I’ve had to listen. I’m metaphorically kicking myself right now, as it’s one of the strongest debuts I’ve heard in a while! Should’ve removed those blinkers! My first and lasting impression is that this is an idiosyncratic take on psychedelic rock. Careful listeners will pick up on the subtle nuances within the music: the bass-heavy start to “Vivid”, off the wall vocal inflections in “Submarine Song”, perfectly timed undulation of the drums throughout the entirety of the album, Nirvana-esque guitars and attitude paired together in “I Can See the Wilderness” … and that’s just on the first listen! My favourite track from this offering is “Propeller”. It has a certain coherence in both vocals and harmonies, and its sentimental weight appeals to me, as do the echoes that have been dispersed throughout the song. I can imagine this going down a storm when played live, and I hope to experience that for myself, and soon! - Music Vs. The World
"Art-rockers Little Mono just released a collection of rock solid jams titled Sailing Songs earlier this year and here we have a glorious grunge rock anthem titled I Can See The Wilderness with it’s epic melodies paired with grand grunge guitar riffs and immense vocals." - Diamond Deposits
"Despite the album only being 30 minutes long it is a full on musical assault for your ears! Heavy bass lines, powerful guitar riffs, dark poetic lyrics and a good amount of feed back are blended to make one explosive album! From the pounding opening track VIVID to the last and longest track BLINDING LIGHTS its an album of pure Psychedelic Rock at its finest." - Bully's Blog
"A frothy poppy number lavished in a rich fuzz" 'Propeller' review by Dave Beech (scruff of the neck records)
"Little Mono is a majestic thing of beauty, all serial killer, no polyfilla!" - The First 45
"I can’t quite put my finger on what sets Little Mono apart from the pack. A band from a mining town in South Yorkshire certainly layering on the mine-shaft deep riffs and tapping the rich seams of coal-black humour from around these parts. But there’s so much more to these boys. Originally, music room chums at the local comp, Little Mono have become a collective of sorts led by songwriter and Jarvis Cocker doppleganger, Vincent Marsh, and co-writer and partner in crime, Joe Hirst. A few years of honing and refining through heavy rehearsals led to this deepest and darkest, earworm of a debut album, 'Sailing Songs’, recorded earlier this year but scheduled for release in early 2016. Opening track ‘Vivid' spills its hardcore guts from the outset. A sinewy coiling riff in the manner of Washington’s finest, Fugazi. It’s short, sharp, floor-tom driven and with to-die-for swooning vocals. Something about paranoid relationships. It's over way too soon. Then there’s the dubcentric ‘Kites’ that deceives with its light upstrokes of chiming synth-like guitar, before the distorted wave of typically mono-esque guitars come crashing in. The voices are hazy and shoegazey, for want of a better term: strike that, gauzy, translucent and harmonic. Getting high and feeling the down side, all washed up and nowhere to grow... ‘Propeller’ shows how catchy this outfit can be with a skewed nod to 50's doo wop and aviation as escapism with a spiralling tailspin down to earth at the coda. I pause to catch my breath. 'A Shining Path’ could be Wire and Sugar’s lovechild in it’s churning chord structure. Brutal and beautiful at the same time. 'The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog’ was the first thing I heard by LM when I saw them at Sheffield’s MADE @ The Audacious Art Experiment, and still remains a personal favourite. 'Blinding Lights' took 10 minutes to create but years to perfect, this is where the Marsh/Hirst sonic explorations really comes into their own. It is a joyous primal scream, dancing phosphenes of neo-psychedelia, dissolving into a seething mess of feedback and atonality after five mins of melodic bliss. 'Sailing Songs’ seems to be about being lost and found, washed up but triumphant, cold to the touch but warm of heart, and precision-tooled to ebb and flow, too short - at 30 minutes - but guaranteed to remain on your turntable for most of the coming months. That is until ‘Songs for the Bewildered’ (Little Mono’s sophomore album) comes along in the new year. Can’t wait for more black stuff from these boys." Craig Manga
Blinding Lights - Review "United Kingdom's Little Mono throttle out art rock air that magnificently carries momentum through ace genre flights of post-punk era spark, psychedelic rock glow, grunge rock edge, power-pop rock jolt and alternative rock bite. An ‘up and coming legitimate music sound must’ for global rock n’ roll appreciators" Forkster