It's probably a little dangerous to name your band after nobody's favorite time of the week. But, with their third release, Monday Morning rejects whatever stigma their name may hold in the eyes of the listening public. Fool's Paradise begins with the high strung "Sunshine" which immediately introduces the bands affinity for hard guitars and driving vocals. At first, it seems a bit much, but the 80s-esque backing vocals and lead singer Derek Stipe's intermittent voice keeps the song going. At the very least, it makes you want to give the album a second chance, and it's a good thing because the next track, "Dear You" is simply golden. "Dear You" is a dance around song that will put anyone in a good mood. Hands down; it's the best song on the album.
The rest of the album, for the most part, holds up its end of the deal. "These Eyes" gives Stipe a chance to fittingly use his vocal range, and the band's lyrical content is surprisingly advanced compared to the rest of their pop/rock genre (so erase all the pain, say we're the same/ keep playing a game we've trained ourselves to play/ and we lie to ourselves like love's a pastime/ and wonder why/ we sleep beside/ the tears we cry). "Vanity" shows the quickness and inciting waver in Stipe's voice and "Until the End" showcases Stipe as a surprising parallel to Brandon Boyd (of Incubus), a pleasing addition to rest of the album's repertoire. "Desperate", a nearly acoustic cut, is refreshing and it's good to hear the variety Monday Morning has to offer.
There may be slight weaknesses in the tracks "Tonight", "Break Away", and "Stand" because they don't quite reach the level of the rest of the album. Bizarrely, "Break Away" doesn't match its vocals with its music, which is completely uncharacteristic of the rest of the album. However, there are too many pop/rock bands creating trendy music with no depth, thankfully Monday Morning works hard to transcend this category. Monday Morning is not the next big thing. However, you'll never not want to pop Fool's Paradise in the CD player. Fans of Incubus, MuteMath, or Dakona should pick this up right away. Admittedly, the hard guitars can be a little much, but by the end of Fool's Paradise, no one really cares. Monday Morning doesn't live up to its namesake, and it's a good thing.
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