The Woolen Men are described as playing “punk influenced DIY (do it yourself) music”. This description is accurate for the men who self-released many of their EPs prior to signing with their label, Woodsist Records. For an artist to self-record and self-release their music is highly impressive, and that will impress the fans too. Their new album Temporary Monument screams rock and roll, but the screams seem to be on repeat.

The first track Clean Dreams makes me want to pack up and go to the beach. The drums and quick guitar strumming have the sounds of summer and fun in the sun. Although Life in Hell sounds like it could be a dark and dreary song, it really isn’t. Just as Clean Dreams, this track is a party song and meant to be enjoyed in a fun setting. Alien City is very brief but it is song with tons of energy. University is also brief, but it is a fun song that should be played at parties.

Untitled is lively and would be a great song to hear at a live concert. After the Flood is mellow and has a sixties rock sound. The Dissolving Man has a thrilling sound to it and it’s fun to dance to. The title track Temporary Monument has the band reminiscing of the decisions they made in their youth. The guitars in Hard Revision give it a dark sound, but it still keeps in line with the rock and roll theme the album presents. Unlike many of the earlier tracks, On Cowardice is one of the more relaxed songs on this album. The Wheel has a hard rock sound to it. Walking Out is the perfect track to finish the album.

Had this not been the beginning of September, Temporary Monument would have been great to listen to during the summer, especially in a beach or party setting. That being said, the only issue I had was the repetitiveness of each song. The sound was the same from start to finish, except for the lyrics. Songs that practically repeat themselves are hard to listen to; it feels as if I’ve listened to that song before. This is a fun album, but it would be better if each song had its own sound.

Final Grade: C

About The Author

Lauren Beverly

Music Reviewer

I love to write and have been doing so since the age of eight. Fictional stories have always been a favorite of mine, because it gives me a chance to be creative and to express myself in a multitude of ways. On more than one occasion, a song proved to be the inspiration to several stories I have written. Believe it or not, some of those songs were on soundtracks! That’s mostly what I listen to, aside from hits from the 1950’s up to the 1980’s. I’ve learned that anything can be the inspiration to a story, even a poster from the 1990’s or a DVD cover.

I’ve lived in Upper Marlboro all of my life and spent much of my childhood watching cartoons of all kinds, and listening to my older sister’s cassette tapes. Growing up, I listened to everything Jackson related, Paula Abdul, Elton John, and even the controversial group Milli Vanilli. As a teenager, I continued to listen to old-school hits and that was pretty much all I liked, aside from listening to all of Michael Jackson’s music. To this day, I still love old-school hits. That hasn’t changed.

I own a variety of CDs from artists such as Styx, The BeeGees, Michael Jackson, Queen, The Yellow Submarine Soundtrack, and many others. When a soundtrack comes out, there will always be one specific song from that album that I’ll love. It never fails.

I’ve graduated from Bowie State University in December 2013 with a B.A. degree in English.

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