MX LONELY - All Monsters LP (Opaque Pink vinyl)

Label: Julia's War Recording

In MX LONELY's world, monsters are multifaceted things. They're the creatures we used to imagine lurking in the shadows as children; the all-too-real evildoers who abuse their power or line their pockets with suffering; the vices and flaws that we grapple with throughout our lives, and what we can become while under their grip. Even the band's name comes from synthesist/vocalist Rae Haas' nickname for a shadowy figure that would haunt them during sleep paralysis. On their debut full-length album ALL MONSTERS, the Brooklyn-based band search dark corners, force open doors and exhume these monsters, via a heavy, murky alt-rock sound that's equally streaked with beauty. "Most of the lyrics center around shadow work; internal and external monsters," Haas says. "I think a lot about the neurodivergencies and the mental illnesses that make you feel like you're a bad person at times. ALL MONSTERS is about, instead of killing yourself, killing your monsters. Destroying each and every one of these ideas about yourself by bringing it to light."