Originally published in The
Aquarian Weekly
The Commons / American
Ghost
Self-released
On American Ghost,
songwriter Keith Monacchio
explores the post-9/11
malaise
that has descended on
this
country. His characters are
trapped in one circumstance
or
another, forcing them to
explore
avenues of escape that will
inevitably lead to further
desperation.
From the addicted
young
mother in “Gas Huffin Housewife”
to the murderer “John
Somebody,” or the “The
Greenhorn” who has
taken a
dangerous job on a fishing
boat
to support his family,
everyone
is looking for a way
out. If the
closing “Hey Josephine”
doesn’t
break your heart, you
need an
x-ray to locate it.
Next summer the
members of
the Trenton-based
Commons will
be going their
separate ways.
The band has
provided a perfect
setting for Monacchio’s brilliant
songs through five
albums, and
they will be sorely
missed. Their
last is one of this year’s
best.
In A Word: Requiem
Grade: A
—by Ken Shane