Review: Moncrieff Kicks Off His Independent Era with the Honest and Unfiltered 'Anyone's Guess'

So....let's have a chat about Moncrieff shall we? If you’ve been following the Waterford man’s socials lately, you’ll know it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. Between the cryptic posts and the eventual spill-the-tea moments about his label drama, it’s fair to say he’s been through the wringer. But if there’s one thing we know about Moncrieff, it’s that he does his best work when his back is against the wall. He’s promised us a new song every month now that he’s back steering his own ship. The feeling of having "Anyone's Guess" in our headphones is brilliant but I imagine it is 100 times better for Moncrieff himself as he begins this new chapter. It feels like the start of something authentic.

Let's get straight into the lyrics, because this is where Moncrieff always grabs you. He’s never been one to shy away from the hard stuff, we all remember the goosebumps from tracks like "Young Men" and newer additions like "Mirror of you" and "Anyone's Guess" slots right in with those. It’s less of a polished pop ballad and more of a confession. He doesnt mince his words here, the line "His older brother's his hero, but now he's his ghost," is absolutely heart-breaking and I give all respect to Moncrieff for continuing to wear his heart on his sleeve like this. Its truly inspirational. You can hear the weight of it in his voice. He speaks on personal tragedy and mixes that with the universal confusion of just trying to exist in 2026 with imagery of losing faith "after watching the news". It's right on the button; it’s that weary feeling we’re all carrying around, captured perfectly in a few bars. The more I've listened to this track, I'm finding new lines that are so honest and unfiltered, I really believe this and what comes next could be a huge turning point for Moncrieff.

Sound-wise, he’s stripped it right back. After the massive production on Maybe It's Fine last year, this feels like he’s intentionally roughed up the edges. It’s raw, it’s gritty, and it’s better for it. There’s a bit of that "Love Somebody" anthem energy in the chorus, but it doesn't feel like it's trying to be a radio hit, it’s just real. The build-up is proper "stand up and scream it" territory. It’s the sound of a man who’s traded the shiny studio polish for something that actually bleeds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RD3JwC4pCukHc&v=3JwC4pCukHc

Context is key here. Moncrieff has told us his story: signed to the big label, the big album push, and then the classic industry mess-around where they try to mould you into something with almost zero help. Seeing him turn around after all that and say "right, I’ll do it myself then" is brilliant. It’s brave and listening to this track, you can tell he’s got the fire back in his belly. He’s channelling all that frustration in lines like "traded my sanity all for a round of applause" , and fair play to him. It sounds like the Moncrieff we fell in love, just with a few more battle scars.

"Anyone's Guess" is a massive return to form. It’s honest, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s exactly what he needed to release to silence any noise. If this is the quality we’re getting once a month, we’re in for a serious year. We're glad to have you back!

Support The Artist Buying the music directly makes a huge difference. You can also stream this track and his other work.

• Stream/Download 'Anyone's Guess': on Spotify and Apple Music
  

• Follow on Socials: Keep an eye on his socials for the next monthly drop.

Moncrieff also runs a Patreon, you can find the link to that on his socials. Go and support a real talent!