Drift

by The Men

Overview

After a back-to-basics self-released record which reconnected the group with their noise-punk roots while still charting fresh new territory, Brooklyn's the Men returned to longtime home Sacred Bones in 2018, delivering their most eclectic album to date. Drift finds the group trying on enough hats to fill a boutique, and for a band who have continually explored different directions on every album, they still manage to travel down unexpected paths. Opener "Maybe I'm Crazy" is a tense dance-punk number with icy, pulsating synths, paranoid vocals which range from alarmed whispering to abrasive screaming, and noisy guitars scraping away in the background. Immediately afterwards, "When I Held You in My Arms" is a slow, devastatingly lonesome lament sung in a gravelly voice, and could very easily be mistaken for something from one of Bob Dylan's later albums of original material. When the Men return to faster tempos, they sound loose and comfortable yet propulsive and determined. "Secret Light" has a driving rhythm with an insistent bassline, combined with warm keyboards and airy, somewhat distant saxophone. "Rose on Top of the World" is friendly and chipper, with delicately plucked melodies and vocal harmonies. Only on the sharp, vicious "Killed Someone" do the group return to blistering, distorted garage rock. Elsewhere, they explore abstract folk on "Sleep," which features sliding strings, rustic guitars, and tape manipulations, and "Final Prayer" is an expansive zone-out recalling the Stooges' "We Will Fall." ~ Paul Simpson

Product Details

Release Date:	03/02/2018
Label:	Sacred Bones
UPC:	0616892555742
Rank:	145544

Tracks

1. Maybe I'm Crazy
2. When I Held You in My Arms
3. Secret Light
4. Rose on Top of the World
5. So High
6. Killed Someone
7. Sleep
8. Final Prayer
9. Come to Me

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Men   Primary Artist
The Lone Rangers   Vocals (Background)
Kevin Faulkner   Bass,Vocals,Turntables,Lap Steel Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Mark Perro   Vocals,Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Nick Chiericozzi   Violin,Vocals,Clarinet,Harmonica,Saxophone,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Rich Samis   Drums,Percussion

Technical Credits

Alan Douches   Mastering
Jonathan Schenke   Engineer
Travis Harrison   Engineer
Kevin Faulkner   Group Member
The Men   Composer
Mark Perro   Group Member
Nick Chiericozzi   Group Member
Rich Samis   Tapes,Design,Group Member
Jordan Lovelace   Engineer