Monica Queen - 10 Sorrowful Mysteries

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 27 / 4 / 2002

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Monica Queen's second album and the first under her own name features ten songs and runs to just under 47 minutes. The sleeve of the album features wooden beads and a crucifix and a sun captured photo of Monica wrapped in the said items. The information on the sleeve is minimal, but this is not a record that needs to tell you when and where it was recorded and when it was finished. If you have two ears, and the patience to listen to the sheer beauty of this CD, then it will easily become a friend. Monica and her co partner Johnny Smillie fronted Thrum, Scotland's answer to Neil Young and Crazy Horse, but instead of that wagon being driven by a checked shirt wearing guy, it was fronted by an angel with a Sunday church service voice. At times in Thrum she could be gentle, but also on their only album 'Rifferama', which was recorded in California in the early 90's, she rocked with the best of them. In the time since then there has been nothing from her until now, apart from an EP which appeared as a preview to this. Monica's voice on this is accompanied on this by just Johnny Smillie's very restrained Neil Young-ish acoustic guitar, and the occasional odd bit of electronica, which is also thrown in to help things along a bit. Each mystery is indeed sorrowful, but not in a Mark Eitzel way. When Monica sings, it is like a beautiful woman, whispering sweet words into your ear for you alone to hear. The album is very confessional in its feel and very much hard to catalogue. Yes, it's folk like. It'a chill out album, and it has a Sunday church country feel to it. Monica's claims to fame are that she sings like an angel, rocks as hard as any guy, and, to be honest, Belle and Sebestian's 'Lazy Line Painter Jane' wouldn't of been as great without her. Monica, it's a pleasure to know you.

Track Listing:-

1 I'm Sorry Darling
2 State Of Grace
3 Do Something Pretty
4 Only Love
5 Tear Behind My Smile
6 Broken Wing
7 260
8 77x
9 Promise For Thomas
10 Where Do You Sleep

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