Electro-pop singer-songwriter Monti premieres her debut EP, called This Is For You, on CelebMix. Co-written and produced by Josh Stevens, the EP comprises five captivating tracks.
Monti is the musical project of Lauren Silva Monti, who endured and came out the other side of Dante’s nine-levels of hell, including an abusive home teeming with alcohol and drugs. Monti escaped. She ran, eluding the icy grip of foster care, and ended up living on the streets, where she miraculously managed to avoid gangs, mental hospitals, group homes, and substance abuse.
Instead of falling down the rabbit hole into a Mad-Hatter-like existence, Monti landed a record deal, followed by touring around the world and sharing the stage with Marcia Ball, P.O.D. and L.F.O. Her music has appeared on Oxygen and HBO, and she’s composed with big name artists on two major labels, Sony and Universal.
The EP starts off with “Cowards Castle,” a song about the toxic effects of co-dependency. Describing the track’s inspiration, Monti says, “As the relationship kept getting more and more unbalanced I realized my partner had started to build a castle around his emotions, and wore his cowardly crown proudly as he allowed his fears to push me and love further and further away metaphorically speaking.”
Opening on dark colors and a powerful rhythm, “Cowards Castle” ramps up to radiant wall-of-sound dynamics, as Monti’s electrifying evocative voice infuses the tune with tight pressure. I love the glowing resonant background harmonies.
“Echo,” featuring Josh Stevens, rides a hefty piano discharging compelling tones, along with booming, rumbling percussion. Monti’s lusciously intense voice injects the tune with anticipation, as choir-like harmonies suffuse the backdrop with grand depth. “Shadow” rides a pop-flavored rock melody chock-full of bluesy colors. The driving rhythm of the music topped by a keening organ lights the harmonics on fire.
“Hurt” travels on an intro simmering with energy, and then mousses up to a pulsating electro-pop number rife with deep resonant rhythm. Monti’s voice surges with tantalizing hues reflecting the cutting emotional pain of living. “Super Hero” rides a crunching, brawny rhythm crowned by heavy opaque synths and Monti’s searing, passionate tones.
This Is For You is superb, full of burnished muscular harmonics, intoxicating rhythms, expressive lyrics, and the scrumptious voice of Monti.