|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monkey House: Crashbox
 Here is an album that fell into my lap completely unexpectedly. The band is Monkey House, an international project which formed in the ‘90s by veteran singer/songwriter/musician Don Breithaupt. He had/has a penchant for writing jazzy pop tunes, Steely Dan is a huge influence, which led to what is now five studio albums, the latest titled Crashbox.
As a self-professed Steely Dan fanboy I can say if you enjoy that band, listening to Crashbox will be music to your ears. The sophisticated melodies, the meticulously crafted arrangements, the virtuosic band interplay, and perhaps most important �" the capturing of that smooth amalgamation of East and West Coast sounds.
The disc starts with “Return Of The Mayfly” with its deep grooves, laid back vocals, addictive chorus, and fine musicianship. It’s a great start. Next is “Someplace On Madison” with its silky smooth grooves and Steely Dan-like backing vocals and sublime horn work, including a fine trumpet solo from Michael Lionheart, who became a stalwart of Steely Dan’s touring band in the ‘90s. The title track begins with an interesting piano salvo and has that quirky charm that so effectively combines pop and jazz. The fun with this music is digging through the layers and mining the nuggets found deep within. Continuing on we get the pretty piano and silky smooth grooves of “Disappear In Plain Sight,” including a sweet acoustic guitar solo with light flamenco touches, the creamy smooth vocals and horns in the uplifting “Sundaying,” and the mid-tempo smoulder of “Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em”.
With this level of sophistication rarely reached in today’s pop music, Crashbox has something that most do not…depth. Please give Crashbox the attention it deserves. You will not regret it one bit.
Track Listing:
1. Return Of The Mayfly
2. Someplace On Madison
3. Crashbox
4. Disappear In Plain Sight
5. What’s Left Of This World
6. Sundaying
7. Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em
8. Bring The Stars Down
9. You Just Don’t Know It Yet
10. Chasing The Muse
11. Friday Night Jam
12. Feeling You Breathe
Added: August 6th 2026
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score: 
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 1228
Language: english
[  Printer Friendly Page ]
[  Send to a Friend ] |
|
[ Back to the Reviews Index ]
|
|
| » SoT Staff Roundtable Reviews: |
Monkey House: Crashbox
Posted by Michael Popke, SoT Staff Writer on 2026-08-06 23:00:10
My Score: 
A little yacht rock here (opening track “Return of the Mayfly” sounds like Steely Dan stole some unreleased Toto demos), some timeless prog-pop there (the Toy Matinee-like title track will take you back in time), and even a little modern-day Chicago (it's almost impossible not to bounce to the groovy “What’s Left of This World”). My SoT colleague Jon Neudorf got it right, calling Monkey House’s Crashbox “sophisticated,” “meticulous,” “virtuosic” and “smooth.” I’m at a loss to come up with higher praise. I will however, note that this project was funded in part by FACTOR (which provides support to Canadian artists via the Government of Canada and the country's private radio broadcasters). Crashbox is proof of what can be accomplished with that kind of public and private support. Had I heard this record in 2025, it would have landed on my best-of-the-year list. But now, it’s the reason I will seek out Monkey House’s back-catalog, which dates back to 1999.
|
|
|
|
2004 Sea Of Tranquility | For information regarding where to send CD promos and advertising, please see our FAQ page.
If you have questions or comments, please Contact Us.
Please see our Policies Page for Site Usage, Privacy, and Copyright Policies.
|
All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner. The comments are property of their posters, all other content Sea of Tranquility
SoT is Hosted by SpeedSoft.com 
|
|
