Mona Lissa Chanda’s debut full-length album, Queen Of Games, is a sultry, cinematic journey through the messy middle of love and heartbreak, delivered with the smoky allure of old-school jazz clubs and the clever bite of modern pop. The Montreal-based singer-songwriter, who brings a rich cultural palette from her German and East Indian heritage, leans into a retro soul aesthetic while telling unmistakably present-day stories.
Chanda opens the record with “Casual Affair,” where her high, grainy voice hesitates and smolders before exploding into an aching and pristine chorus. The title track “Queen Of Games” is perhaps the most emblematic of this dance, with its Bond-esque sultriness and lyrical intrigue. Chanda channels a femme fatale who keeps her heart under lock and key, even as her voice betrays the cracks in the armor. It’s hypnotic, glamorous, and just a little tragic, like Lana Del Rey gone blues.
The closer, “Never The Man For Me” stands out as a bluesy reckoning wrapped in razor-sharp storytelling. With gritty guitar riffs and marching percussion, Chanda sings of a war hero whose medals couldn’t melt his “stone cold” heart. She spits, with a sting softened only by the richness of her voice. For Chanda, songwriting has become more than catharsis as it confronts.
Yet Queen Of Games pulses with strength. Whether she’s taunting, mourning, or teasing, Mona Lissa Chanda’s debut is confident, complex, and utterly captivating. Check it out on Spotify.
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Review by: Naomi Joan