Search - Stockholm Monsters :: All at Once: Singles 1981-1987

An Astonishing Singles Catalogue

Sierra Wilson | Rhode Island | 02/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While The Smiths receive the majority of the attention when it comes to 80s singles bands, the relatively unknown and under-appreciated Stockholm Monsters were actually the better pop outfit, a fact to which "All at Once" brilliantly testifies. Here you get 14 stellar singles (and alternate mixes of the colossal "Partyline," the chilly "Miss Moonlight," as well as the previously unreleased demo of "Shake It To The Bank") not likely to be bested by any band in the near future. From the chimey debut "Fairy Tales" to the controversial, mind-blowing "How Corrupt Is Rough Trade?" to the earth-shaking "Militia," the Monsters display an uncanny knack for clear, disaffected songwriting, desperate sentiment, and memorable melody. Tony France's thinly wavering voice, John Rhodes' skeletal riffing, Karl France's gorgeous bass tone, the swirling horns...they all combine to brew a sublime audio stew that penetrates the ear at a nearly subconscious level. All of these songs possess a discernably thick tension (conveyed through the uniquely dramatic vocal performances of France) that threatens to tear the composition apart at any moment. Yet the Monsters miraculously hold it together, and the chaos fades into an epiphany, one moment of pure genius--the guitar solo in "Militia," the voice samples in "Kan Kill!," the desperate vocals in "Partyline," the whistling noise in the background of "Fairy Tales." This compilation is shot through with magic moments, and anyone who has not heard of the Stockholm Monsters should immediately go out and buy this, then purchase the band's sole album "Alma Mater." They are both precious gems from a lost era and lamentably bygone band: I would go so far as to say "All At Once" is the best CD I've ever purchased. It's that good."