The 69 Eyes has always been a pretty consistent band and their latest album Universal Monsters is no exception to this. Featuring eleven tracks of their self-styled goth’n’roll music, this is definitely an album that you won’t want to miss.
Universal Monsters gets off to a good start with Dolce Vita, a fast-moving song that sees The 69 Eyes hit the ground running and although it sounds oddly familiar, almost like an amalgamation of several of their other songs, it’s a catchy and memorable song that helps to start the album with a bang. Another strong inclusion is later track Jerusalem, a slower song with a bit of an electronic feel to it at times due to the repeating synth line lurking beneath it all, and the vocal line is powerfully and passionately delivered, particularly during the big and epic-sounding chorus.
Admittedly, you won’t find any surprises on this album. It’s clear that The 69 Eyes have got their own style and are running with it, but if you compare Universal Monsters to their previous albums, there hasn’t been much progression. There’s certainly no shame in the fact the band knows what works for them and there’s no faulting the songwriting, but it would be good to see them push the boundaries and try something a little different as well.
Despite this, Universal Monsters is still a fantastic listen and an album you will keep wanting to come back to – you can always count on The 69 Eyes to write great and catchy music.
7/10
