Fans of Modern Alternative acts such as Imagine Dragons are sure to enjoy “Monster” by Brad Urba. Coincidentally, Imagine Dragons actually have a song of the same name. Brad Urba is something of an overnight sensation, at least in the way of cultivating his talent. Hailing from both Maryland and Oregon, Urba first began by rapping his own poetry. It was during a performance he saw at Coachella while attending with his wife that made him want to experiment with different musical styles. The genre that moved him was actually Pop Country of all things, and he composed and recorded his first track in the following days. He has since dabbled in multiple genres, seeing his songs land on the soundtrack of several television shows, including Californication.
To say Brad Urba is a natural is a gross understatement. His performance, like the track Monster itself, is multifaceted. There’s the genre-bending aspect that has come to define Urba, but there’s also a stark sense of existentialism to the song. Slickly recorded and impeccably mixed, “Monster” is unquestionably “radio ready.” It has a strong chorus and thought-provoking lyrics that go a long way in distributing weight to the track. Emotionally, Urba maintains control, but you can sense a burgeoning eruption of exhaustion and rage behind the track. It’s a philosophical and observational work, and Urba raises questions that find themselves in the cerebral periphery of most of us.
Of course, Brad can’t resist slipping back into his roots on “Monster.” He slightly speeds up his cadence and prose to deliver a rap-style verse towards the latter half. It works splendidly, giving the song the type of eclecticism that is almost a necessity for Modern Pop/Rock in this era. These walls/they never let a monster in/these walls/they never let a monster out. It’s probably more than safe to accuse Brad Urba of being a bit of a deep thinker.
I am a double sided coin/never know until I flip/which side I’m gonna join. Urba is game to not only confront his shadow side on “Monster” but embrace it. He sees himself and quite possibly all living creatures as shades of gray. We harbor both dark and light impulses that we must learn to merge. The threat of allowing ourselves to be in denial of either is potentially disastrous.
“Monster” is another work of cinematic quality that you’re bound to hear popping up somewhere, sooner rather than later. It’s the type of song that you immediately break out the shazam for after hearing the first few seconds. As an artist and a composer, Urba just continues to ascend. He is giving us rich melodies and imaging concepts with a substantial sense of gravitas. Hard at work in his laboratory of song and poetry, Brad Urba may be preparing to unleash the most impenetrable monster of them all – himself.
Clay Burton