The Men-Electric

The fact that The Men's Open Your Heart made was number two on my Top 25 Album of 2012 list, and "Ex-Dreams" off it made number two on my Top 40 Songs of 2012 list, should be decent enough hints to the fact that I hold The Men in high regard. So it should be no surprise that I am little beyond excited for their new album New Moon when it arrives in March. The preview I got of the album when I saw the band in June is a bit of a blur, but an exhilarating blur from what I recall. At the very least "Electric", the first single off the album, is just as powerful in its recorded form as it was in person. An even cleaner take on the stylistic shift they created on Open Your Heart, the vocals actually crisp and clear and the riffs feel almost pulled from some a classic punk record playing a 45 rpm. Not that their punk intensity has been discard completely; the fury behind the drum kit is still kept well intact as it crashes throughout "Electric", and the small shift of urgency that hits with the chorus unleashes a certain intensity the track manages to keep locked up until that precious moment. Also, did I mention the guitar riffs on this track because they are certainly incredible; a speed up, distorted Buzzcock jangle that roars at just the right moments. The Men might have a new level of sheen, but that does not in anyway diminish their ability to make an utterly killer, rocking tune. 



Links:

The Men's Website
Pre-order New Moon here, from Sacred Bones Records