Monoculture

For a self-professed post-hardcore band, Sainthood Reps are poppier than most, as capable of filling a song with slow, spacy guitar arpeggios as fast ‘n’ furious riffs. On Monoculture, the band makes its debut with a collection of songs that breathe, echo, and bounce off the studio walls, creating a sound that has its roots in hard rock and its head in the ether. Technically speaking, “monoculture” refers to the farming technique of planting one crop across an immense area, which maximizes yield without requiring much labor. This album takes the opposite approach. Sainthood Reps spread themselves wide, channeling Nirvana on the alt-rock chorus of “Dingus” and churning up a grungy, shoegazing groove during “Telemarketeer.” When they turn the amps up, Monoculture rocks hard. But the band sounds better on the softer songs, which show off the underused vocal chops of Francesco Montesanto while blazing a more unique trail.