Nix the Scientist — the power trio of Christian Gerner-Smidt, Jack Reed, and Alex Morrison — push forward with their prog-rock sound on their latest single “Monumental.” Compared to their fierce hard rock debut “Flux,” their latest is a meditative pop-rock number that lets us in on the band’s introspective side.
The tune opens up with the warm hum of strings, evoking the sensation of being suspended in time and space before breaking out into a cathartic burst of distorted bass and roaring guitars. Leaning into the cinematic dynamics of The Killers and emotive peaks that recall the golden age of 90’s alt rock, Nix the Scientist deliver a song that maintains a textural and meticulous approach to rock music that still delivers true and soulful. According to Gerner-Smidt, the song comes from a place of feeling stuck in life and wishing you were somewhere else — a sentiment that resonates all too true in our indefinite quarantine. — Jake Van Valkenburg, Y’all ATL