Album review: Monsters Eating People Eating Monsters… by Frankie and the Witch Fingers

Frankie and the Witch Fingers – consisting of singer Dylan Sizemore, guitarist Josh Menashe, drummer Glenn Brigman, and newest addition bassist Nikki Pickle of Death Valley girls – come in strong with their 6^th album, “Monsters Eating People Eating Monsters.” Fans of theirs will quickly recognize their psychedelic style, with a strong 60s and 70s rock influence. However, this album differs from a lot of their other music in quite a few ways, but I would say these differences just make the album that much better. For starters, this album is much more upbeat and rock-heavy than their older music. The track Simulator really emphasizes this, and the guitar throughout is easily recognizable as having a strong influence from classic rock.  

             If I were asked to describe this album in one word, I would say chaos. The fusion of rock and psychedelia creates a tone that can almost feel like too much at times but is quickly offset by moments of “peace” when all the instruments come back together in unison, especially in the song Cavehead.  While this album might not be for everyone, those who enjoy this style will find a lot to like about it. One of the things I really loved is that it is almost entirely continuous. The shifts between certain songs were so discreet, I would fail to notice that they had even changed.

             Even though the classic rock sound is found all throughout this album – and is arguably the most prominent sound – they also added in hints of many other genres including jazz and worldbeat. This gives most listeners at least one thing that they would find enjoyable, even if this isn’t an album they would typically pick out. The 7-minute long opening track, Activate, starts off with a percussion section that revolves around a global and multicultural sound while Reaper, my personal favorite, has a refreshing bass line that gives it a very groovy feel, making it a good one to chill out to. Each song has its own unique sound that is just similar enough to give the album a cohesive feel but also shows off the variety and talent of this band. It’s clear that they were branching out into something new and different from their older stuff, and in doing so, they created a crazy and fun album that’s worth a listen.