Brothers Tom and Ed Russell have been features of the underground electronic scene for years, but it’s as Overmono that the pair have really pushed for the overground. Their stunning 2023 full-length Good Lies gave notice that there was a new electronic act ready to take their place alongside the leading lights of contemporary British electronic music. Featuring arguably one of the era’s most distinctive tunes in the title track, the pair forged a unique sound characterised by pulsing breakbeats, deep analogue synths, and pitch-shifted vocal samples. It’s a hard act to follow, but thankfully the pair are more than up to the task on one of the year’s most anticipated electronic releases, Pure Devotion.
Opener “Lockup” kicks things off in stunning fashion. Built around a heavily manipulated vocal sample, the pair fuse pounding, club-heavy beats and electrifying synths to dizzying effect. Packing in as many ideas as some artists manage in an entire album, the scale of its ambition is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Most importantly, it’s the kind of dancefloor slaying banger that should push the band to the next level.
“Knight in Shining Prada” finds them disappearing down a different alleyway altogether. Featuring spoken-word lines from British poet John Joseph Holt, it pairs urban spoken-word vocals with wavering house beats. Initially, it’s hard to shake the nagging feeling that this has become a repetitive trait of modern dance music, but over time it reveals itself to be something much more. It’s actually a profound reflection on the nature of brotherhood, made more powerful when considering Holt lost his own brother to suicide in 2017.
Lines such as “Faith keeps me close to you but not close enough / I long for your embrace, but you’re gone when I wake up” reveal the depth of loss and ultimately futile yearning for someone who has passed. However, in Overmono’s hands, the track feels more life-affirming than mournful as it builds to a euphoric payoff, highlighting the strength needed to keep going: “I am here / It is me by your side / I am the fight in the dog / I am the luck of the lights.” It’s a powerful, surprisingly affecting track that shows Overmono exploring a different facet of the human experience.
“Slowmotion” is much more straightforward but no less engaging. Shuffling beats underpin emotive synth chords interrupted by yawning bursts of electronics. As with much of their best work, stretched vocal samples act as the glue that binds it all together. It takes until the fourth track, “Even Angels Ghosts”, before really hearing Overmono’s more familiar sonic signatures as pitched vocal loops weave a magical spell through the gliding synths and bubbling beats. It’s a welcome reminder of the sound that brought them to prominence on their breakthrough debut record.
“Barum” continues in the same vein. Understated yet expertly layered electronics frame soulful vocals from London singer-songwriter Jaz Karris. It’s an intimate, moving track which sees Karris struggling to navigate the pain of a partner’s indifference: “Even if you don’t love me / Even if you don’t love me no more.” The club-ready stomp of “Laxbrook” ramps up the BPM and pulls the listener back onto the dancefloor. Featuring harsher electronics and scruffier beats, it’s a driving house track. The low, fragmented vocals add a haunting air, but it’s the soulful groove that carries it along.
“Gem Lingo” features distinctive R&B vocals from London singer Ruthven. Lyrically, he expresses the vulnerability of trying to steer a relationship as a partner grows more disconnected and emotionally unavailable. Musically, it aims for the heavens, underpinned by ticking beats and smooth synth washes before it plummets back to earth, driven by rapid-fire techno beats.
Ambient palette cleanser “Adre” hints at a softer side to the duo. Beatless and more experimental, it is an interesting sketch, but it’s arguable how necessary it is to the album’s flow. Thankfully, order is restored on the misleadingly titled “Ballad”, a high-energy dance track that fuses elements of UK garage, techno and deep house. Musically spry and wiry, it lyrically details a relationship slowly turning to dust, giving way to almost unbearable uncertainty.
The album closes with the equally emotional “After the Rain”. While it deals with similar themes of heartbreak, it suggests love will still prevail. The relationship may have ended, but there are still chances to be loved again. It’s a heartfelt closer on an album that reveals its heart more and more over time.
Overmono’s second full-length feels like a step forward for them as they pull themselves in new directions, crafting expansive dance music that retains a deep sense of humanity. Impressively, they balance club euphoria with moments of intense vulnerability on songs that transcend the dancefloor, serving as a soundtrack for the everyday as much as for the club. Pure Devotion is an impressive record that should cement the duo’s place at the top table of British electronic music.