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: June 23rd 2025
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 147
Language: english

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