As much as I liked the ‘bedroom’ era of indie pop, a part of me is glad it’s no longer in fashion. Artists like Clairo, Gus Dapperton and beabadoobee are still producing fantastic work; however, the teens and young adults of today yearn for something far more energetic and explosive. Today’s indie pop consists of faster, louder and more danceable music.
A band that fulfills these needs perfectly is Almost Monday (stylized as “almost monday”). The trio from San Diego consists of founding members Dawson Daugherty, Cole Clisby and Luke Fabry. Their rise in the indie/alternative world has been exciting to watch, and the music they produce keeps getting better and better.
The band brings a unique charisma and swagger to a genre filled with up-and-coming artists trying their hardest to stand out. With subtle wavy synths, heavily syncopated drum patterns and dynamic bass lines, the group creates catchy and enjoyable tracks that won’t leave your head for days.
The name of the band fully encapsulates the energy they present. The idea of it being “almost Monday” seeks to create an emotion of enjoying the time you have left of the weekend without any inhibitions whatsoever. With songs about living a mostly untroubled life, only concerned about things such as social status and past lovers, the band uses elements like bright, layered guitars and high-tempo tracks to create an upbeat and rather proactive feeling in their music.
One of my favorite songs by almost monday is their most recent single, “cough drops.” The song channels the sound of a “Favorite Worst Nightmare”-era Arctic Monkeys but if they had a far more positive energy. With impressive and highly polished production, the high energy of the track forces you to move with the beat. Even though the vocal performance is not an element I enjoy, the rest of the song — especially the guitars in the striking chorus — is brilliant enough for me to look past it. This song is almost like the one incredibly caffeinated and energetic friend you have who forces you to smile even when you’re feeling down, making you feel better no matter what.
Through their songs, almost monday shows an incredibly casual display of sheer talent. Another of their songs that shows up in most of my playlists is “cool enough.” With a dense layer of counter-melodies and percussion, the song is a fun and fresh anthem for being a young adult in 2023, wondering what being cool really means. The lyrics take up space in the rhythm perfectly, almost like blocks in Tetris as each beat is filled with syllables that nestle neatly into the song. It’s one of those songs that you can see being used during the ending credits of a coming-of-age Netflix movie.
The bedroom era of indie pop showed us that it is now easier than ever to produce and release music, with artists doing so from the comfort of their eponymous bedrooms. But now, with new indie music coming in from all directions (making us feel slightly too spoiled for choice), it can be hard to notice and appreciate new artists or bands.
almost monday is a testament to the importance of putting your personality into your music. I’m sure you could find another indie pop band trying to make similar music with members bringing the same if not a higher amount of musical talent. However, the one thing that makes almost monday unique is the carefree energy and charisma that they put in every track, in combination with catchy hooks and a very dense and polished level of production.
A big part of making and sharing art is about showing someone else your vision and everything that developed your vision to be that way. almost monday screams that it’s here to have a good time and forces you to forget about your problems for three minutes and have a good time with them instead.
Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.