Monkey Rum
Banished from the Garden
Self-Released
Street: 05.27
Monkey Rum = Cinderella + Warrant + Orquesta del Desierto
Banished from the Garden moves through so many genres and styles that it gets hard to pin these guys down as one genre or another. In that way, you could almost call this album a dad-rock melange, where distinctions between styles get lost in the blend of hair metal, glam rock and grunge. Don’t let that deter you, though—songs like “Cry Wolf” and “Losing My Mind” feature some pretty acrobatic guitar work that spice up this familiar formula. Unfortunately, despite the genre shifts from song to song, almost every track is a ballad, and the majority of the lyrics are pretty forgettable when they aren’t painfully obvious. Nevertheless, Monkey Rum succeed by the strength of their songwriting and the solid musicianship of their ensemble. Even if you don’t love every song, there are certainly a few gems to be found on this record, so give it a spin. –Henry Glasheen