Monocle's "Outer Sunset" Official CD Release

PRLog (Press Release) – Jan 19, 2008 – Perth, Western Australia and Brooklyn, New York, January 18th, 2007. Australian music label Hidden Shoal Recordings has announced the official CD release of the brilliant new album Outer Sunset by New York indie-pop outfit Monocle.

Having already generated a wonderful buzz from its digital release, making a number of Top 10 of 2007 lists, garnering a range of glowing reviews, and receiving extensive US and Australian airplay, Monocle’s Outer Sunset has now officially been released on CD.

From the opening strains of ‘Emmanuelle’, Monocle immediately set about wrapping the listener in a blanket of dizzying hypnotic pop. Moving from bossa-fuelled dark night car rides to lush shoegaze-tinged astral rock, Outer Sunset reflects a decidedly edgier, denser approach both compositionally and performance-wise than their debut EP.

Tracks such as ‘Music of Space’ and ‘Airphase’ present some of the best newgaze pop you will hear this year, leaving behind the often overbearing austerity of the genre and replacing it with an innate melancholic warmth and energy. ‘Agent Earle’ kicks off in what initially feels like parody, but in true Monocle style turns itself on its head with dark chiming guitars and warning vocals, only to then perform a third chameleon act, slipping the listener into a blurred star belt.

While on first listen it may be easy to pinpoint references such as Stereolab, Can and Lush when describing Monocle’s sound and musical vision, successive listens reveal so much more. With a charming immediacy that belies its underlying complexity, Outer Sunset is a masterpiece of magnetic pop. As the last track fades you find yourself immediately reaching over to the play button for another round.

“For dreamy, slightly psychedelic, shoegazing indie pop, look no further... a pensive, stunning new album for Hidden Shoal Recordings... Multi-layered and involving, Outer Sunset manages to be avant-garde and accessible simultaneously, which is no small feat… Monocle has made a dazzling album.”  – Delusions of Adequacy

“suddenly my face will light up with the realization that ‘Air Phase’, for example, is simply amazing. ‘Wave Goodbye’ is another standout… a totally accessible and brilliant pop song. How do they do that? Don’t know. Chalk it all up to an amazing chemistry I suppose” - It’s Not The Band I Hate It’s Their Fans

Monocle’s Outer Sunset is available through Amoeba Music in Los Angeles thanks to an exclusive partnership with HSR. The CD is available in-store as a featured listening post release, as well as via mail order. Outer Sunset is also available at Etherea in New York. All store information is available form the HSR Store.

Hidden Shoal Recordings’ current catalogue includes releases that slip between the edges of experimental ambient work, shoegazing pop, post-rock and indie rock. The label has earned a reputation for releasing exciting and engaging new independent music unbound by genre or style. Hidden Shoal Recordings was recently chosen as one of the top ten favourite labels of 2007 by Textura magazine.

Label Site: http://music.hiddenshoal.com
HSR Store: http://agora.hiddenshoal.com