Mono - Oath (2024)      


Review:
The year 2020 turned what was once quintessential late-night stoner existentialism into a daily mantra for nearly everyone on this planet. What are we doing with our limited time in this life? What is our purpose? What should we be doing?
For the past 25 years, MONO have explored themes such as the relationship between darkness and light; hope in the face of disaster; and the duality of birth and death. On their 12th full-length album, OATH, they ponder the time that makes up life, and how to make the most of that time. Recorded and mixed with longtime friend and collaborator, Steve Albini, OATH opens like a sunrise with a slowly ascending orchestra and brass section, the full band taking its time to revel in the atmosphere before joining in the splendor. Throughout the album’s 71-minute runtime, MONO meditates on that theme of time and life in myriad ways. The unhurried evolution of a song that is a hallmark of MONO’s catalog is infused with an air of elegance that elevates OATH to new heights. MONO challenged themselves with a universally relatable existential examination, and answered with OATH, an album that offers benevolent reflection rather than fleeting respite. “We live with a vow that hasn’t changed since we were children. Hear the wind sing. We are part of the universe. We already know what we should do and what the most important thing in life is.” – Takaakira ‘Taka’ Goto, MONO — bandcamp


   


Track List:
01 - Us, Then
02 - Oath
03 - Then, Us
04 - Run On
05 - Reflection
06 - Hear the Wind Sing
07 - Hourglass
08 - Moonlight Drawing
09 - Holy Winter
10 - We All Shine On
11 - Time Goes By


Media Report:
Genre: post-rock
Origin: Tokyo, Japan  
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)


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