Review: Monqi – “Stoke the Fire”

‘Stoke the Fire’, the second standalone release from Sheffield’s own, Monqi utilizes her newly assembled band to deliver her most emotionally charged performance to date.

At just under eight minutes, Monqi builds the track as if fanning the proverbial flames evoked in its title. It opens with a quiet warmth – the singer’s acoustic guitar doesn’t rush in but instead lingers like a soft ember. A second, electric guitar mirrors this spacious set-up, its subtle tremolo warble acting as the fire’s gentle flicker of light.

Gradually, new textures are introduced; backing vocals and piano suggest something growing, while Grimwade’s understated vocals, at times reminiscent of Hope Sandoval, lend a haunting intimacy that grounds the track. Her lyrics float between the personal and obscure, with lines like: “Without your language you’re naked / Without my body I’ve nothing for you to desire / Still, you stoke the fire” evoking raw emotion in the listener.

At this point, it bursts into a full-fledged bonfire. The whole band engages and its 40-something seconds of rage, led by incendiary, reverb-drenched guitar. In keeping with the song, the solo steadily amplifies – clever to leave space for the other components to shine. This stands as the most energetic moment in Monqi’s catalogue to date, serving as a clear statement of intent to subvert the folk-inflected style she’s known for.  

The song emerges as a laid-back indie-folk number, with Grimwade’s vocals growing richer and more poetic. She sings languidly of wildflowers in late summer, only to confront rivers that threaten to drown her – a striking contrast echoing her poetry and her deep connection to the natural world. These metaphors explore desire – for another, and for control when love threatens to overwhelm.  

The use of the quiet/loud dynamic endures until the end: “still you stoke the fire” repeats as the track burns down to a soft glow. It reflects the cycle of longing and rage that Monqi holds up to the listener, mirrored on the single’s cover. It burns, bright and enticing – only for it to eventually dim, leaving behind the ashes of something once comforting. It’s up to us to add more fuel – or simply turn the heating on.