Amy Shark’s Love Monster may be the most anticipated Aussie album of the year. Every single she released quickly climbed the ARIA charts, attracting airplay and accolades along the way. Those songs set the bar so high, I wondered whether her debut LP could possibly match my expectations. But the Gold Coast singer-songwriter delivers here.
Love Monster was destined to be one of the biggest releases of the year, but its sound is refreshingly small and intimate. While Amy plays with beats and electronic sounds, she doesn’t overdo it. That ensures we can really hone in on the lyrics, which is where Love Monster really excels. The songs feel like diary entries, intimate confessions about relationships and moments in time that she’s sharing with us. Coupled with Amy’s honest vocal delivery, these songs move you. And isn’t that really the most important thing?
Every track here is so, so good. I didn’t quite expect that. When singles shine so brightly you expect the album they’re lifted from to contain some fillers. But I can honestly say that I love every track on Love Monster. I ordinarily pick out standouts and wax lyrical about them, but singling songs out would seem unfair to the ones I didn’t mention. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by “Psycho,” the song she recorded with Mark Hoppus of Blink-182. I can hear the Blink-182 influence, but it’s restrained in this delicate number. I’ve always been a sucker for a great duet, and this is a great duet.
Love Monster is a beautiful album, raw, real, and relatable. It’s in stores and all your favourite digital retailers now. She’s touring almost everywhere over the coming months. Here are all the dates you need!
3 August 2018 – Osheaga, Montreal
4 August 2018 – Lollapalooza, Chicago
24 August 2018 – HQ, Adelaide (SOLD OUT)
25 August 2018 – Metropolis, Fremantle (SOLD OUT)
30 & 31 August 2018 – The Forum, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)
1 & 2 September 2018 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney (Limited tickets for 2nd)
6 & 7 September 2018 – The Tivoli, Brisbane (Limited tickets for 6th)
8 September 2018 – Nightquarter, Gold Coast
13 September 2018 – Powerstation, Auckland
14 September 2018 – Foundry, Christchurch
15 September 2018 – Hunter Lounge, Wellington
21 September 2018 – Life is Beautiful, Las Vegas
23 September 2018 – Wonder Ballroom, Portland
24 September 2018 – Neptune, Seattle
25 September 2018 – Imperial, Vancouver
26 September 2018 – Capital Ballroom, Victoria
28 September 2018 – Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
1 October 2018 – House of Blues, San Diego
2 October 2018 – El Rey, Los Angeles
5 October 2018 – Amsterdam Bar & Hall, St. Paul
8 October 2018 – Paradise Rock Club, Boston
10 October 2018 – Underground Arts, Philadelphia
12 October 2018 – Irving Plaza, New York
13 October 2018 – Danforth Music Hall, Toronto
3 November 2018 – This That Festival, Newcastle
16 January 2019 – Knust, Hamburg
17 January 2019 – Festsaal Kreuzberg, Berlin
19 January 2019 – Strom, Munich
20 January 2019 – Plaza, Zurich
21 January 2019 – Nachtleben, Frankfurt
23 January 2019 – Luxor, Cologne
24 January 2019 – Badaboum, Paris
25 January 2019 – Paradiso, Amsterdam
27 January 2019 – Rotonde Botanique, Brussels
29 January 2019 – O2 Institute 3, Birmingham
30 January 2019 – Heaven, London
1 February 2019 – Gorilla, Manchester
Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia