Mono, unlike Portishead, is much more deeply rooted in pop music of the 1960s, which is incredibly evident in tracks like "Slimcea Girl," "The Outsideres," and "Silicone." The main track, "Life in Mono," is what initially turned me on to the group, having heard it during a trailer for the Hawke/Paltrow remake of *Great Expectations*. The movie was somewhat of a disappointment, not helped by the fact that they did NOT use "Life in Mono" in the film itself--only during the end credits. Pity, as the beautifully wistful, melancholy track would have suited the film perfectly. The track gets double play on the album, and it's a tie as to which one is better. The Alice Band Mix is a lot funkier, but perfectly retains the same melancholy, wistful feel of the first track, coming off as if it's the same memory in a different mind. "Slimcea Girl" is another favorite, sounding like classic Burt Bacharach with a millenium-era edge. Other songs, like "The Outsiders," "Playboys," "Hello Cleveland," "Silicone," and "Penguin Freud" have more of a Portishead feel--blending '60s spy-theme-like music with contemporary electronic elements. "The Blind Man" takes the idea back a bit further and sounds like the updated theme of a '70s detective show. Keeping this from a 5-star rating are the two tracks, "Disney Town" and "High Life." The former's refrain is just plain annoying, as throughout the album, Siobhan De Mare's wistful vocals get just a little tiresome. Usually, they're made up for by the great music accompanying her (sometimes you just long for that cold, Beth Gibbons edge), but not so in these two tracks. The latter sounds like its from an anti-drug campaign. Enough said. Regardless, this is a great album and a beautiful one. If you're looking for those not-quite-tangible-memories, but aren't quite satisfied by your Portishead, definitely pick this one up.
synopsis: Formica Blues is an album from English trip hop group Mono. It was first released in the UK in 1997. Four singles were released from the album, of which the lead single, "Life in Mono", was the most successful. The album reached #71 in the UK album charts and remained on the chart for 1 week.
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