Review by Daniel Deprè & Staff
“Monsters” is a somber and atmospheric offering that is drenched in sentimentality. The progression of the song’s energy is so smooth it feels incredible listening to it grow. The layering is also very rich and creates a unique sonic field for the vocals to comfortably sit in the middle. It’s really nice how this song is decidedly not huge or epic, it’s got a humble vibe to it. This is the kind of song that would thrive in an indie movie.
Lyrically, Couchsleepers, helmed by Harrison Wood Hsiang, is singing about the little demons that can often show up in a relationship and how the weight of them can sometimes be unbearable. He writes his lyrics with such inventive imagery. I found my mind racing, picturing what he was singing as he sings how he is seeing monsters everywhere. “Babe, come back to bed, I heard your voice from down the hall, so I crept back beneath the covers, and watched the shadows on the wall, and lying there beside you, I could see them in the room”. Hsiang is reflecting on how often we shoulder our partners struggles and we end up taking them on as our own demons. He really brings an creative light to this common issue.
The arrangement is very unique and bubbling over with interesting sounds that come up and down like waves crashing in the ocean. There is such a soft and caressing nature to the arrangement. The synth pads fill out the center, giving the song a very warm and atmospheric feeling. Providing rhythmic ornamentation is the guitar that mostly plays the same thing throughout the whole song, acting as a thread that beautifully connects the song from start to finish.
Hsiang’s vocals are plentiful and warm, he can easily go back and forth between singing softly and singing with a more full and robust tone. “Monsters” is a beautiful journey of a song that is bound to make you feel all kinds of emotions.
About Couchsleepers
A soundtrack for restless nights. Couchsleepers was formed by neuroscientist & songwriter Harrison Wood Hsiang, uniting under a single name a sprawling collective of musicians and artists. The band made its debut with the nine-track Only When It’s Dark in 2019. On the road, Hsiang is joined by frequent collaborators Mike Nunziante, Brendan Ronan, Max Shashoua, and Gloria Breck.
Follow on Instagram
Stream on Spotify
Watch on TikTok
Comments