The brainchild of Matt Mondanile falls flat as stories of his sexual misconduct come to light
In light of sexual misconduct allegations against guitarist and founding member Matt Mondanile, the band Ducktails released their latest album, aptly titled Jersey Devil, this year. Ducktails has also lost some coveted concert tour dates as well as their publicist, as many in the industry attempt to distance themselves from the firestorm.
The band has a heavy influence in the hypnagogic pop scene, but it’s hard to not hear the sheer creepiness of a lot of the songs.
The first track, “Map To The Stars” has nothing particularly special to it. Danceable at best, the tight track lacks any dynamic or cohesive moments. It’s just not very believable when he sings “come with me, we can get connected,” but rather that he’s trying to sell something to the listener that isn’t there. The instrumental wrapped around the lyrics doesn’t really save the track either. While low, distorted vocals are a trademark of the lo-fi genre, they just don’t work for this song.
“Light a Candle” is slightly better than its predecessor, blending elements of synth-pop and indie rock to create a flavorful track aimed to please. What’s probably meant to be a lush, sexy bedroom song feels more cheesy and laughable, but the track is still polished enough to listen to. At best, the track feels like it’s derived from surf rock.
“In The Hallway” sounds like another unremarkable lust song. Mondanile is talking about watching a girl in the hallway as she “moves endlessly,” putting a eerie feeling on the track. It’s four minutes of rhythmic moodiness, slightly hidden by the upbeat tempo.
Throughout the first three songs, women seem to be a object of amusement to the singer. A woman and her touch is always the main objective but whether things are successful for the singer is ultimately muddled by distortion, instruments and meaningless lyrics. It also doesn’t help that every minute of each song is painstakingly long, tempting the listener to skip through far too many times.
“Keeper Of The Garden” is very reminiscent of ’80s dream-pop. Mondanile croons in your ear that he’s “never loved a girl that hasn’t walked away first,” unsettling in the wake of his sexual misconduct allegations. He sings about how he’s lost friends on the journey. but he would never turn on anyone that truly cared about him. A bittersweet thought, Mondanile tries to paint himself as a guy who has made mistakes in his life but is worthy of forgiveness.
“Solitary Star” starts off funky and groovy with a prominent ’70s influence, not hunkered down by Mondanile’s looming presence. “Lover” takes on an Elliot Smith vibe with a Western tone. Mondanile once again sings about himself and his losses, saying he never meant to be a “hateful man.” Self-victimization is a strong theme throughout Jersey Devil, with Mondanile trying to argue that he’s not as bad of a person as he’s made out to be.
Allegations and subsequent fallout aside, the former Real Estate guitarist had put together a quaint little indie band that’s proven they’re capable of little more than churning out mundane tracks. At some point, everyone gets tired of hearing the same thing over and over.
With Mondanile the sole recurring group member, it’s hard to say whether this chillwave band will ever revamp itself. In fact, it’s somewhat difficult to take the project seriously at all. Regardless, it’s a bland album that falls flat upon the ears, failing to meet expectations.
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