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Now if you’re anything like me, you might be wondering, a debut album after seven years? What were you sitting on? How good could it possibly be? Well in Monsune’s case, the answer is very. It can be very good. The record, Sure, is a strong collection of tracks analyzing grief, uncertainty, and transition, all held together by what he calls a kind of reluctant optimism. It’s been a long road to get to this debut, and you can hear every mile of it. 

If you’ve been following us for a while, you probably already know Scott Zhang. The Toronto artist broke through with his 2019 EP Tradition, a project that earned praise for its genre-defying approach and emotional honesty and introduced the world to fan favorites like “OUTTA MY MIND,” “Mountain,” and “1998.” It blended nostalgic textures, chopped samples, live instrumentation, and deeply personal songwriting into something that sounded completely his own, and “Mountain” later earned a SOCAN Songwriting Prize nomination. Then 2020 hit, and his path took an unexpected turn. 

While he kept working on his own project, Monsune, he became one of the most in-demand producers around, bringing his genre-blurring instincts to a wildly diverse list of collaborators. His credits include SZA’s Grammy-winning “Saturn,” Lola Young’s global hit “Messy,” and Drake’s “Race My Mind,” along with work with Zach Bryan, Amine, Jonah Yano, and Luna Li. Making other people’s records sounds like a dream day job, but it comes with a trade-off. Zhang has said he went through countless versions of these songs while producing for others, because for a long time he couldn’t see a path forward for his own music. 

The version that finally came together is Sure, which started taking shape in Toronto during the pandemic and was finished after he moved to Los Angeles to chase his production career. The inspirations are the things he’d listen to alone in his Toronto apartment: dance music, trip hop, and new age music. Zhang calls the album a reflection of the scatter-brained half-decade it took to make, and that scattered quality is part of the charm. When The Fader wrote about the singles, they described a musician taking everything life had thrown at him and turning that energy into a blend of bedroom pop and cinematic soundtracks, which is a good way to put it. 

He returned earlier this year with the title track, “Sure,” and “Wouldn’t Say,” which are two songs that show off his gift for weaving in R&B, electronic, and alternative indie influences into one sound. “Wouldn’t Say” has these pulsing keys, drum machines, and sort of dream-pop production behind a very new age presenting track and makes you feel like you’re walking around New York City at night with your headphones on locked in with this track in perfect sync. 

One of my other favorite moments on this track is “When I Get To You,” because it presents itself with this funky bassline, simple yet sophisticated percussion behind it, and dreamy, breathy vocals that fit the vibe setting so incredibly well. I think fans of Beach House, New Order, and Enya would find something to love about this project.  

Sure is so great because of how lived in it sounds. These songs come from someone who spent years in the room with other people’s dreams while waiting for the right moment for his own. I feel like the heritage of this project traces that patience, and it shows up in the details, and in how comfortable the record is sitting with itself. It’s not a victory lap, exactly, but it’s an artist finally finding his voice after a long time helping others find theirs. 

Listen to 'Sure' below: