Release Date: March 4, 2014
The Men have come a long way since their noise-rock debut in 2010. Dropping some of the disorderly shenanigans and intense distortion of its first two albums helped the five-piece gain some popularity with its third release, Open Your Heart, and since then the group has become increasingly inspired by folk, country, and surf rock.
The Men’s most recent effort, Tomorrow’s Hits, goes much the same, losing almost all aspects of the band’s initial sound and swapping them for more intimate, upbeat vibes.
The change might seem like a shallow sell-out for success, but it sounds just the opposite. The Men have found the perfect concoction of folk and rock to carve out an enormous, cozy niche teeming with exuberant originality.
The product is a ripe, edgy album chock-full of catchy melodies and songwriting mastery. Tomorrow’s Hits is The Men at their best, going places they’ve never dared to before.
“Dark Waltz” opens the record with one of the folkiest, surf rockin’-est songs, immediately showing off this modified style at full force. The charming, Beach Boys-esque “ooh”s and “ah”s give the simple song a warm feel, while Mark Perro’s rock vocals and the band’s distortion push it past the standard folk song.
“Dark Waltz” picks up even more when it progresses into an epic guitar solo and a lively harmonica bit that ends in a cacophonous mess, capping the song off with a rousing, inspiring climax that hits the emotional sweet spot, creating an intoxicating sensation that never loses its luster.
The band is continually breaking down walls with no regard for genre borders whatsoever, drawing from an absurd number of styles that set it apart by a million miles.
There are so many new components that The Men now reside on an entirely different plane of existence—out in the middle of a country field that’s home to an endless, booze-fueled, folk-rock jam.
Take “Another Night,” for example. The piano-friendly, soulful, saxophone-driven song is catchy as hell and has an undeniably dancey beat. The album’s single, “Pearly Gates,” shows gritty, lightning-fast influences from The Men’s old material, and that mayhem juxtaposes amicably with the ensuing slow song “Settle Me Down.”
Tomorrow’s Hits then ends on “Going Down,”one of the best guitar songs the album has to offer. The tenacious intro riff powers through the track and is joined by Perro’s bold, distorted vocals and proper backing instrumentals.
Despite the song’s irrefutable power and angst, a tinge of disappointment surfaces when the closing track fades out during the unrivaled guitar solo. Even with this poor choice of ending, “Going Down” seals Tomorrow’s Hits as the best album in The Men’s discography and one of the best 2014 has offered thus far.
The shocking metamorphosis from indistinguishable noise to an unparalleled folk and surf rock combo has taken time, but was worth the wait. The Men have done some amazing work with this newly adopted style, straying from their past material only to find a more fitting home.
The Men – Tomorrow’s Hits tracklist:
- “Dark Waltz”
- “Get What You Give”
- “Another Night”
- “Different Days”
- “Sleepless”
- “Pearly Gates”
- “Settle Me Down”
- “Going Down”
