Monty Crystal shares his best yet on experimental record, "Desperate Optimism"
With his third complete studio album, Monty Crystal is back with an absolute thriller of a record, Desperate Optimism. We are loving it! Please read along with us as we share our complete thoughts, as well as a background on the artist as well.
From Norwood, Ohio, Monty Crystal is the solo work of musician Jason Runion. Seeking influence from inspirations such as Portugal. The Man, The Flaming Lips, Danger Mouse, and so many more, Monty Crystal has managed to craft a truly unique and signature sound of his own over the years that has culminated in by far, his best record yet.
While the ultimate goal of the music is to make music that he wants to hear himself, I think we can confidently conclude that this is also exactly the type of music that we want to hear ourselves as well. As lovers of all things experimental, psychedelic, and thought provoking, Desperate Optimism succeeds within its first track of checking all those boxes.
Now we don’t want to overhype here, because it very well may not be your style, but this is absolutely the type of music that we cross our fingers to come across on our path. It has broken the mold of what your mainstream pop or rock albums are going for and actually challenges the listener to break down what they’re hearing instead of just being fed the same old algorithm over and over again. For that, we commend the artist on thinking outside the box and getting crazy with it.
Coming in at 11 songs, spanning 38 minutes in run time, there isn’t a single dull moment or out of place piece on the album. Everything seems like it was thought out correctly beforehand and was strategically placed in order to have an album that flows cohesively from start to finish. Picking an actual favorite song would be a near impossible task, so we’ll just recommend you start from the beginning and let the music flow through you.
Having finished up Desperate Optimism with a smile on our faces, we had no choice but to go back into his discography to compare and contrast what he had already put out. Without a doubt, and not to knock the other albums down a peg, but this is the best. Considering the complexities of even beginning to make this music, we think that half the battle here would be figuring out whatever production tools he’s using just to create his ideal sound. We’re not producers, just reviewers, but we have an idea of how difficult it can be to learn these programs. With that being said though, it came out great!
It should really go without saying at this point though, but we implore the reader to give this a listen. Step outside your comfort zone, hit the play button, and let Monty Crystal brighten your day up.
For all things Monty Crystal, to listen, and to keep up with all future releases and information, please check out the following links below.
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