Powers of the Monk don't just write songs, they make entire worlds, as evidenced by their latest release, "Bread and Circuses," a disturbing work of brilliance. And it's one of those experiences, a thrilling plunge into the fragile line between reality and delusion.
"Bread & Circuses" is about a patient with schizophrenia who drifts into fantasies of escaping from his self-obsession and wandering into the weird clutter of a circus that has been let loose to disintegrate freely. He stumbles, for example, onto lions eating clowns. The images are chilling, almost striking, but it's how Powers of the Monk turns those images into sound that makes the song unforgettable. The music fluctuates between knife-edged aggression and ghostly calm, mirroring the complex currents of the mind it reflects. There's a push and pull all through the song between freedom and enclosure, spectacle and terror. The signifier "circus" is at once pointed and blunt, an arena of amusement where brutality looms large, and laughter disguises terror. The listening public can feel the walls of the mental institution closing in on them, only for those walls to burst open into a fever dream of wild colors and grotesque spectacle.
What makes "Bread & Circuses" resonate is its refusal to sanitize the topic. No, instead, Powers of the Monk chooses to lean into the uncomfortable here, resulting in something more thought-provoking than musically daring. It's as much storytelling as experimentation, intended not just to be heard but also felt deep in the gut.
For listeners who are comfortable stepping outside the norm and into something bold, unnerving, and altogether original, "Bread & Circuses" should be a must-listen. The Monk Powers has served up a song that doesn't just entertain, it haunts one, like a dream one can't shake.
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