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Hailing from Cowbridge and on the same label as those cheeky Kaiser Chiefs, The Automatic are already making a name for themselves with a
series of dazzling live shows, including supporting The Ordinary Boys, and a favourable reaction, only two singles in, from Radio 1.
Monster's beauty lies in its apparent simplicity; on the surface it seems
basic and uncomplicated, yet this belies its hidden intricacies, with angsty
guitars noodling away in the background during the verses, subtle keyboard
effects helping to drive the melody and, throughout, a sense of building
toward something momentous, a sensation of something grand about to be
unfurled. And unfurled it is, when the music cuts dead and the chorus of;
"What's that coming over the hill?/Is it a monster?/Is it a monster?" stands
alone, cold and naked, before the music kicks back in; the adrenaline rush
is immense, capturing the miniature zeitgeist that has been building for but
three minutes.
You never really learn the nature of the beast that is indeed coming over
the hill, but this is but a minor quibble. Thoroughly exciting, giddy and
frenetic, Monster is an electrifying 3 minutes and 44 seconds of pop music
at its finest, a nursery rhyme for the 21st century and a reminder of two
things: firstly, that The Automatic are a thrilling act destined for greater
things, and secondly, that when pop music is done right, as it is here, it
can be bloody phenomenal and a whole lot of fun to boot.
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