Sav Buist of the Accidentals has very nearly famously described North Carolinan piano-rock artist Ian Ridenhour’s music as “like Jack White and Ben Folds had a baby”. Humor and spectacle aside, the reason why this endorsement has rung like a bell as much as it has for the bespectacled, Asheville-centered rising alt. rocker is because it’s true. There is a certain melodic flair to the man’s music that comes across as very pop-sensible, but without sacrificing any of the darkly, sometimes Burtonesque gloom of his overall musical persona. Even still, there’s a warmth and a kindness, there, too, and it all blends together to develop what is easily one of the more diverse piano-centered rock acts of modern times to uncover.
“Monsters” is a strong depiction of all of the above and more, as Ridenhour soars alongside full piano, electric guitar, bass, and drum-based instrumentation. The accompanying music video, shot by Kira Bursky, perfectly captures the strangely satisfying unification of Buist’s notorious comparison between Folds and White in picture form. Overall, it makes for a scintillating watch alongside a captivating listen.
“I am so, so excited for this new single. ‘Monsters’ feels like a perfect snapshot of who I am musically and personally right now, and I’m more than proud to share it with the world,” says Ridenhour. “The song deeply engages the topic of depression and anxiety, and other deceptively common mental illnesses, and I think it is more important now than ever to talk about these things, and make them socially acceptable to discuss. It’s really meaningful to me, and I hope it allows other people to find equal meaning in it. The song captures the album very nicely and I’m very excited for both the single and the album to release.”