This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
If there can be such a thing, Moneen are the thinking man’s emo band.
Sure, this Brampton quartet produce a punky squall of slashing guitars, keening vocals and churning rhythms that might remind you of bands like The Promise Ring and Jets to Brazil. But listen a little closer to lyrics like, “This afternoon I burned my eyes out of my head, but from what I read I’m fine … or dead,” and you see there’s plenty more in these grooves than the backpack set’s usual lovelorn yearnings and existential angst. Their first full-length, the 10-song Theory of Harmonial Value is a concept album about a scientist trying to unlock the keys to the universe with numerology. The point? Well, maybe it’s all a big metaphor for the way people use songs — ie, numbers — to put the world in perspective. Or maybe it’s just their way of justifying their mathematically intricate music, which is often brought to you by the numbers three and five. Or who knows? Ultimatley, we don’t really need to know all the whys and hows. All we really need to know is when — as in when are they gonna put out another CD this impressive?
