The Monochrome Set have today released their new single titled ‘Lotus Bridge’, from the upcoming album of the same name dropping March 13th via Tapete Records.
‘Lotus Bridge’ by The Monochrome Set drifts in with the kind of understated confidence that only comes from a band that understands restraint as an artistic weapon. Nothing here begs for attention; instead, the track invites you closer, coaxing the listener into its peculiar emotional geometry. There’s a quiet intelligence to how it unfolds, as if every sound has already considered whether it truly belongs before taking its place.
The song’s atmosphere feels slightly tilted, balancing elegance with a faint sense of unease. Guitars shimmer without ever fully sparkling, lines curling in on themselves like thoughts you almost finish but choose not to. The rhythm doesn’t push forward so much as it strolls, giving the track room to breathe and letting its character seep in through subtle inflections rather than big gestures.
Vocally, there’s a conversational detachment at play, a delivery that sounds both intimate and distant at the same time. The lyrics feel less like a story being told and more like a series of observations overheard through a half-open door. This distance is precisely what makes the song compelling—it trusts the listener to do some of the emotional work, to connect the dots without having them spelled out.
What stands out most is the song’s patience. ‘Lotus Bridge’ doesn’t chase a hook or a climactic payoff; instead, it settles into its own internal logic and stays there. The melodies linger not because they’re loud or obvious, but because they’re slightly off-center, nudging your memory in unexpected ways long after the track ends.
In the end, this is a piece that rewards attentiveness rather than passive listening. It feels curated rather than constructed, thoughtful without being self-important. ‘Lotus Bridge’ exists in that satisfying space where mood and melody quietly conspire, leaving behind the sense that you’ve crossed something delicate—and that turning back wouldn’t quite feel the same.
About The Monochrome Set & ‘Lotus Bridge’
Unashamedly literate UK post-punk sophisticates The Monochrome Set, having amassed a formidable catalogue of releases over 5 decades, are ready to release their new opus ’Lotus Bridge’ on Tapete Records – the band’s home for the last twelve years and six studio albums. Their instantly recognisable sound and darkly humorous lyrics have always set them apart. Bid’s cerebral wit and debonair tones, melded to infectious melodies and deft songcraft of a cinematic and literary quality, have been quietly influential over a diverse set of artists since their inception and throughout different stages of their career. The band are, in essence, a national treasure.
The new album ‘Lotus Bridge’ is a psychedelic trip into Bid’s rich and fantastical dreamworld. Based on a singular dream that re-presented itself after an eight-month hiatus just when it became time to record again, Bid recounts in sharp detail the myriad of characters and surroundings that appeared in his dream and inspired this new set of stories to unfold.
Bid elucidates, “It seemed to me, as I wrote these lyrics, that this whole story was a metaphor for acrumbling civilization, and whether or not I would leave it behind if I were given the opportunity. The otherside of the bridge represents what seems to be an unknown future that I’m being asked to accept without explanation, and the other songs represent a journey back through the past and are a sometimes allegorical re-evaluation of it. I think that I managed to keep to a close narrative thread in the lyrics, and deliberately kept the underlying musical structures in a similar tempo and key. Even old poetry is timeless, if it is about personal experiences”.
This new album follows on from Bid’s recently released book of selected lyrics – “Strange Young Alien” – published by Ventil Verlag in November 2025 – a book that gives invaluable insight into his songwriting process and the more you learn about Bid’s writing process, the more mysterious and intriguing things become.
‘Lotus Bridge’ has a subtle but quite different feel to previous TMS albums – the core use of electric piano and acoustic guitar, electric guitars often used widely, and overall a very focused and almost orchestral feel to it. There are also ambient sounds between many of the songs, so that the whole album feels like a connected whole.
Bid is joined in The Monochrome Set for this recording by fellow original Andy Warren on bass, Stephen Gilchrist on drums and Athen Ayren on keyboards and guitar. Alice Healey once again provides backing vocals.
Featured image by Peter Tainsh.
‘Lotus Bridge’ Tracklist
- Lotus Bridge
- Diaphanous
- The Abominations Of Hubert
- Jenny Greenlocks
- Arcadia
- Athanatoi
- Leander
- Map Of The Night Sky
- Polaris Aa
- Our Sweet Soulsode
LINKS:
https://themonochromeset.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/themonochromeset
https://www.instagram.com/themonochromeset
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6TR7TYiDiS5okigndyMIpK