Half Deaf and Tearing it Up - K.Flay’s Newest LP “Mono”
Bringing a new voice to her long standing track of dark and heavy rock inspired rap masterpieces K.Flay returns in 2023 with her latest album “Mono.” The new and dark addition to her lineup starts off strong diving straight into her turmoil of the last year with the intro “Are You Serious?”; a spectacularly hard hitting opener with a progressive pounding bassline backing the artist’s lyrical lament. The opening immediately sets the stage of the album’s theme by addressing one of the hardest things a musician can face and one of the artist’s greatest challenges, the permanent loss of hearing in her right ear. After receiving the sudden diagnosis in fall of last year, she decided to take the pain away from what could've been a career crippling injury for any other artist. Titling her next album “Mono” to embrace the new era of her life and career with only one functioning ear.
The album follows up with one of her singles released in April this year, “Raw Raw.” A top requested song from the album already, the song delves into the feelings and themes of being exposed, sore, and in pain. Alongside this the album also features her other two singles from this year “Shy” and “Irish Goodbye,” the latter featuring Vic Fuentes, frontman of metal sensation Pierce the Veil. A collaboration released a few weeks early to the album’s full launch on Sep 15th and not the only collaboration on there. Indie rock group ‘Kid Sistr’ also makes an appearance on the melancholy song “Spaghetti” relating the feelings of growing up and breaking delusions.
New to the discography and an up and coming fan must play from the album is the song “Punisher.” The dark and eerie lyrics linger over the rise and fall of the bassline. K.Flay delivers on a vicious tone that throws the listener through her turmoil and self doubt. With lyrics like, “I think I found the punisher,” “Nobody knows how to punish me, like me,” K.Flay relates how the worry of how others view you pales in comparison to what goes on in your own head. However, the album ultimately culminates in the song “Yes I’m Serious.” The track is a beautifully crafted critique of the artist’s situation filled with uptempo raps bars and rants; through which K.Flay lets go of her fears in a song that relates to the tiresome act of putting up with all the banal criticism and online in our modern day. Choosing to continue being her original self and the culture she’s branded on her own.
“Mono” is available to stream and download everywhere now, K.Flay will begin touring the new album in Europe starting September 23rd and in North America starting November 9th.