The Men
New York City
Fuzz Club Records [2023]
Brooklyn’s The Men put out several fantastic punk records back in the early 2010’s and then over the last 10 years have expanded their sound into more indie friendly areas that even included a touch of Americana. Their recent material has been solid but I fully admit that I sorta missed The Men’s fierceness in those later era albums. Well, New York City is an open arms back, as The Men have released one of the grittiest garage rock records of their career that is a back to the basics in your face guitar and sweat album.
Right from the opening track, “Hard Livin'” makes a bold statement with its beer bottle breaking riffs and shout along vocals. This song flows seamlessly into the foot tapping “Peace Of Mind,” which you can visually see in your head the members sharing the mic when they belt out the chorus. This “all in” band mentality was highlighted in the recording process that found a series of cuts played live by the four piece and recorded to 2″ tape in Travis Harrison’s (Guided By Voices, Built To Spill) Brooklyn studio. What was captured, was the skuzz, passion and exploding energy you typically only can find on the stage. New York City brings the fight to your speakers and all you want to do is turn up the volume.
The Men absolutely do not let off the gas here and New York City feels like an album that never sleeps. Even the over six-minute closer, “River Flows,” has this 3am vibe to it with its slower burn and slightly distorted Urge Overkill type vocals that is all highlighted with a killer guitar solo. It is a record that doesn’t stop moving for a second. I love this album’s glowing abrasiveness that finds The Men’s confidence pushing each track to a new level. The group has consistently evolved over their career but this scorcher may be one of their most fun albums to date as it takes you to simpler times and just rocks out as The Men absolutely flex their muscles and honestly don’t care what anybody else thinks!
KEY TRACKS
“Peace Of Mind” / “God Bless The USA” / “River Flows”
ARTISTS WITH SIMILAR FIRE
The Mooney Suzuki / The Stooges / The Makers
THE MEN REVIEW HISTORY
Tomorrow’s Hits (2014) / New Moon (2013) / Open Your Heart (2012)
THE MEN LINKS
Official Website | Instagram | Bandcamp | Fuzz Club Records
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