Band:	The Vintage Caravan
Album:	Monuments
Style:	Hard rock, Blues rock
Release date:	April 16, 2021
A review by:	tominator

01. Whispers
02. Crystallized
03. Can't Get You Off My Mind
04. Dark Times
05. This One's For You
06. Forgotten
07. Sharp Teeth
08. Hell
09. Torn In Two
10. Said & Done
11. Clarity

Back to the seventies.

After my review for Smith/Kotzen, we have yet another hard rock record with a heavy focus on groovy guitar riffs here. That being said, unlike Smith/Kotzen, this album has a bit more going for it. I'll elaborate...

So yes, Monuments does put a lot of emphasis on the guitar work, but the other instruments do add their flair to them. As a result, this record manages to overcome one of my main criticisms on the album I'm comparing it with: it feels like a complete package. On top of that, we have got a strong 70s aesthetic going on here coupled with some psychedelic touches. Monuments has a good groove going on; it's a relatively easy record to listen to, and while it might not be (relatively speaking) as easy to get into as Smith/Kotzen, it does add more depth to its compositions. That results in an album that is more rewarding for multiple listens.

Production-wise, this is pretty much perfect. It captures that 70s style they are going for and it also sounds as crisp as a cracker. Pounding bass, hammering drums and a hefty guitar sound are blended really well in this production. The vocals... Well that's probably the thing I feel the most indifferent about. Why? It's because they have those typical audio effect layers you would find on a lot of psychedelic records. To be honest I'm okay with it, but I can imagine that some people might not feel so indifferent about them.

Lyrics are solid: nothing too extreme in a positive or negative sense. It's the exact style of lyrics I would expect for a hard rock album.

In terms of flow and pace, I can't complain too much either. Or could I? Well maybe a little bit. Monuments offers enough differentiation with its songs, but some of the tracks could have used some pruning. The biggest example I can think of is "Clarity". It's a very nice acoustic song... at least it would have been if the last 2-3 minutes were cut. This last section reintroduces the heavier elements, but I honestly don't think the song needed that. Without it, the song would have been just as strong, and since it's the ending track, it would be a better "fading out" track without that heavier part at the end. Now, this is probably the song where I had that feeling the most; however, there are a few more of these moments sprinkled throughout the record.

That all being said, the big positive thing I can say about this record is that it keeps coming up with fun and interesting elements throughout its running time. This is a good and robust album that succeeds in giving the listener a piece of work that is worth listening to a second (or even third) time. So, if you are a fan of that typical 70s sound combined with some groovy musicianship, Monuments is definitely worth checking out.