This Moon is Full

Brooklyn’s post hardcore outfit The Men have released their newest album, New Moon and its lo-fi, echoey vocals and grungy static filled guitar make it a great soundtrack to the rainy, “somewhat sad but also kind of hopeful and beautiful” early Spring days that are to come. If this record was put out ten years ago, it may have easily been written off as just another Dinosaur Jr. worship ’90s post-punk rip off, but today that sound is all but entirely absent from punk, and The Men are a great band to pick up the slack.

New Moon‘s sound spans a number of indie rock sub genres, never giving the listener a steady idea of what to expect. The record starts out with the surprisingly cheery and upbeat “Open the Door” that, like a smattering of other songs throughout the album, lull the listener into a false sense of acoustic indie-pop security. There is no hint of the heavy, electrified wailing guitars that are to come in songs like “I Saw Her Face” and “The Brass.” The Men are also able to intermingle, with smoothness, instruments that are often left out of heavier music, like a harmonica and mandolin. The middle of the album even features a slide-guitar-heavy instrumental interlude reminiscent of country music, “High and Lonesome,” that helps to highlight the array of sounds found on New Moon. While the change in styles throughout the album may at times feel disjointed or off-putting, they manage to make each individual song still engaging and enjoyable to listen to.

New Moon pulls in so many different punk, indie rock, and folk influences for its sound that it will appeal to a whole variety of listeners. If you’ve ever looked for a record that mixed a more lighthearted Dinosaur Jr with a heavier, more authentic sounding the Black Keys, this is the perfect fit.