This Monologue Conversation by I Plead Irony feels like an album made by a band that knows exactly how to work with each other. That makes sense, considering Rauf Jordan, Paul McDonald and Lawrence Arnold have been making music together in different forms for more than two decades. Their alternative rock sound carries clear punk and blues influences, but the songs never feel trapped by one style. There is grit in the guitars, weight in the rhythm section, and a raw, lived-in quality to the vocals and production. The album moves through dark ideas without becoming overly serious or dramatic. There is always a sense that the band understands the contradictions in what they are saying, and perhaps even finds some dry humour in them. The eleven tracks also benefit from the history behind them. This was an album ten years in the making, recorded across different periods and completed after distance and the pandemic interrupted the band. Yet it feels surprisingly natural as a collection of songs. You can hear the tension between frustration, fear, self-doubt and the desire to keep moving forward.
Several tracks stand out for different reasons. “Inside The Lines” is one of the most interesting because of its focus on conformity and the restrictions people create for themselves. Its themes feel personal, but they can easily be heard on a wider level too. “History” also leaves a strong impression with its darker thoughts about progress and reversal. It questions whether humanity really moves forward as much as we like to believe, giving the album some of its most unsettling ideas. Then there is “Falling Upwards,” a fitting final track and perhaps the album’s emotional turning point. After so much anxiety and darkness, it brings in the idea of love and connection without forcing a simple happy ending. The title itself says a lot. Moving upward does not always require fighting your way there. Sometimes another person can change your direction. Tracks like “Nervous System,” “Look Out Below” and “Death by Internal Combustion” also add to the record’s sense of internal pressure, fear and self-destruction.
As a whole, This Monologue Conversation is about contradiction, both in the world and within ourselves. It looks at identity, anxiety, conformity, ego, fear and the ways people can become their own worst enemies. At the same time, it never completely gives in to hopelessness. That balance gives the album its character. This is a good record for listeners who enjoy alternative rock with rougher edges and thoughtful lyrics that do not spell everything out. It would work well on a late-night drive, when you have time to sit with the words, or during those restless evenings when your own thoughts are louder than usual. Fans of rock that mixes melody with tension, punk attitude and a little bluesy grit should find plenty to enjoy here. After ten years of delays and interruptions, I Plead Irony finally finished the difficult third album, and the songs make a convincing case that they were worth waiting for.
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