Many things can attract you to a band. Maybe itâs a catchy single, maybe itâs a cool photoshoot, maybe itâs because their name is an amusing spoonerism. In the case of Moni Jitchell, itâs unlikely to be the first two. The Scottish duo make music for a specific kind of person. They make it noisily and they make it with style. With their second album âAwareâ, theyâre also making it with a greater sense of scope. Itâs a strange and alluring beast.
Moni Jitchellâs live set-up is stark; A drumkit, twelve strings, two amps, two people, one microphone. Thatâs basically the sound of âAwareâ. Itâs similar to bands like â68 or Jamie Lenmanâs new record âPukeâ or a corrupted version of the White Stripes, where their whole schtick is the interaction between a guitarist and a drummer. Recorded and mixed by Ross McGowan at Glasgowâs Chime Studios and mastered by Matthew Barnhart it captures a raw, textured sound but it might take some getting used to.
Each of the albumâs nine songs is built around David Scottâs guitar playing while Grant Donaldson batters his drumkit and yells over the top. Itâs an abrasive sound and never feels particularly tuneful but it has a strange, hypnotic quality, and is an interesting contrast to the sound of 2023âs âUnrealâ. Although the song construction feels similar, the sound is darker, thicker and slightly more evil. It captures a different kind of atmosphere.
Opening track âAskâ smashes through its short runtime, getting things underway with a short, sharp shock. The guitar part saws back and forth but the drums do the hard work as it breathlessly captures your attention. The second track âNew Tableâ introduces one of the albumâs most interesting features, the guitar drone. While the tap-tapping drums keep the song flowing, the riffs fall into a kind of holding pattern that makes it feel strangely uneasy. This idea is repeated in interesting ways throughout the album as the guitar riffs often seesaw back and forward giving songs like âAll To Seeâ or âHearâ a certain rolling wave/seasickness feel. Itâs one of the defining features of the overall sound and proves to be strangely hypnotic.
When discussing their music, the duo make a big deal of David Scott using a twelve-string guitar. Why? Because it seems a strange choice for this type of music. Usually, duos favour the heavier, thicker sound of bassy strings which allow the riffs to battle with the drummer. Here though those extra strings offer more layers and sense of depth. Indeed, the riff on âNo Offeringâ sounds more like a ânormalâ band and itâs absolutely crushing, telling you a lot about how their music works.
For a band predicated on the sound of two people, thatâs not all there is. Although they work within a two person framework on some songs, they add extra instruments and explore different soundscapes. Notably the intoxicating title track âAcheâ features a more technical-sounding riff and feels more âmusicalâ than the others. Similarly, the bassy sound of âFaultâ gives it a thrilling undercurrent to its spidery riff; the effect is something like a traffic jam, which is much bigger compliment than you might think.
Of course, arriving in 2026, the new album enters a world still bleating on about A.I. music. Itâs a strange place. Almost no one has a clue what they are talking about, everyone is at cross purposes and the whole idea that A.I. is making anything is ludicrous. Computer models are not alive. They donât know anything, they donât create anything, they just lay down what comes next, statistically. And they get those statistics by ripping of every artist who ever wrote a song. Moni Jitchell are the opposite of A.I. music. Theyâre the anti-A.I.
One of the albumâs defining features is Donaldsonâs voice. Heâs a shouter, similar to Jeremy Bolm from Touche Amore where the presentation of his voice bares no real relation to what the music is doing. Itâs a constant ‘R-ROOAR, R-ROAR’ sound that is more about cadence and expression than style. On the most interesting tracks like âAwareâ, he tones down the yelling making it less caustic and almost warm. This creates much needed variety and adds a layer of texture to the album as a whole. Itâs also striking how the he uses a drawn-out yell to bring âLimp Eyesâ and the journey to a close.
No one wants to listen to A.I. music. No one. Relatively ânormalâ people will use that accursed word âfillerâ to mean a song that isnât a big, catchy single. But even that kind of song has an inspiration, hours of work, and choices. Moni Jitchellâs work feels real and dirty and messy. Their second album is darker, more hypnotic and more creative than their debut. If a computer output âAwareâ you would think it was broken.
IAN KENWORTHY