Italian shoegaze band Mondaze has today released their second album ‘Linger‘ via Bronson Recordings.

A message on the wall reads, “We don’t want to return to normal because normal was the problem.” filled with disruptive alarms, isolating commutes, an increasingly demanding work schedule, and manufactured desires urging us to buy things we don’t need. Dull, unhealthy meals and a self-imposed detachment as we watch endless streaming content, sacrificing sleep until the brink of dawn. Then, the alarm rings again, perpetuating the cycle with heightened exhaustion and diminished concentration.

This is exactly what Mondaze touch on in their latest album ‘Linger’, a follow-up to their 2021 debut ‘Late Bloom’. “The album arose from a sense of alienation from a world devoid of contemplation,” the band explains. “A world where finding moments of stillness in everyday life has become rare’. Life has become an experience of watching from the sidelines, distracted and unaware of what’s right in front of us.  

The album delves deep into themes of memory and loss, resistance and rebirth. It presents a dualism, balancing the delicate beauty of ethereal melodies with the intense power of a wall of sound. This back-and-forth builds and tears down emotional landscapes and mindscapes alike. If shoegaze stands for anything in the annals of indie music, it’s the sonic expression of a state of “uncomfortable numbness”—a form of escape from reality, hidden beneath layers of distorted guitars and distant vocals. It’s a sound that more effectively encapsulates the discomforts of ultramodern life than any statement could. While mainstream music moves towards hyper-produced pop and ever-grander spectacles, shoegaze has become the preferred voice for younger generations who feel adrift, with few points of reference.  

In this context, Mondaze’s sound stands out with its originality. Their music is the result of a synthesis of various influences—from punk and hardcore to metal—forming a voice that uniquely captures the anxieties of today’s world. 

Since forming in 2018, Mondaze have defined themselves as “heavy shoegaze,” taking inspiration from bands like genre-giants Swervedriver and Ride, but also contemporary bands that are pushing shoegaze through the limits like Nothing and Ringo Deathstarr. With ‘Linger’, they aim to amplify the melancholic tones of their frustration and rage. These sonic characteristics drove them to work with Chris Fullard (who’s collaborated with Idles and Boris) on mixing, and Maurizio Baggio (The Soft Moon, Boy Harsher) for mastering. The result is an album with roots, yet distinctly modern in its direction and sound with arrangements able to perfectly synthesize a modern approach to dreamy-eerie landscapes. Guitars in Linger are back as a centre for world-making as they foster sensations through music with refined overlaps where influences merge expressing modern sensibility.  

“We often strive to act as rationally as possible, but inevitably end up feeling empty and numb,” the band reflects on the broader implications of their work, “This album is about contemplation,” they continue, “but there’s also an element of action, a kind of non-action that comes from the awareness gained through reflection.”  

With ‘Linger’, Mondaze return with a sound that is as powerful as it is necessary in the times we live in. There’s a strength that stems from reflection and observation. Their music taps into the deep emotions of generations unwilling to return to the “normal” of the past.

Emily Marsden – Editor
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