On Monte Verita is the debut album from international indie rock and pop band Shenanygans, and it’s the perfect intro to their inviting sound.
By Graeme Smith
Formed in 2023, Shenanygans are Irish brothers, singers, songwriters and guitarists Dan and Kaylem Hannon-Barry, Swiss-Polish bassist, singer and songwriter Luki Hellmann and multi-instrumentalist Tom Brunner on drums. The four now base themselves in Solothurn, Switzerland.
The country in which they are based very much inspires their work, and the album’s title is taken from a Swiss commune and foundation of the ’60s hippie movement. You hear a little something of that time in the album but Shenanygans’ influences are wider than that and include the power pop of the Beach Boys, Irish folk and garage rock.
The result is an eclectic collection that gives variety without losing its way. While album openers All the Trippin’ Around and With You very much show us the hippie love, Stormy Days is a darky, moodier moment, and Good And Evil is jangly and philosophical. Each track comes thick and fast, rapidly flipping through the pages of the Shenanygans’ songbook.
We hear tales of love, life, friendship and travels. Country rock moments like Where I’ve Been hold court with the soft melancholia of Like Strangers. Count on Me is a breezy yet wistful highlight, rich with a sense of nostalgia and a dreamy melody. Nothing Was Given To You is one of the album’s heavier moments, with a rumbling, looping melody and some passionate vocals. The album is rounded off nicely by the wonderous I Believe In You.
Shenanygans’ new album feels like a renaissance of a bygone sound that’s due a revival. The band have taken classic influences and made them work in 2024, something which is difficult to do, especially on a debut. You won’t hear much like On Monte Verita. It’s a unique collection that need celebrating.
On Monte Verita is out now and you can check it out below.