-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal *
Artist..: Man Man
Album...: On Oni Pond
GENRE....: Indie
STYLE....: Alternative, Pop, Experimental
LABEL....: Anti SCENE.....: 2016-02-19
BITRATE..: 246 kbps avg STORE.....: 2013-00-00
ENCODER..: LAME 3.98.4 -V0 TRACKS....: 13
SIZE.....: 82.60MB SOURCE....: CD
URL..: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_Man
- TRACKLIST
1 Oni Swan 0:39
2 Pink Wonton 3:19
3 End Boss 4:12
4 Head On 4:25
5 King Shiv 5:07
6 Loot My Body 3:25
7 Deep Cover 3:03
8 Pyramids 3:54
9 Sparks 3:34
10 Paul's Grotesque 3:50
11 Fangs 5:37
12 Curtains 1:03
13 Born Tight 3:43
Total Playtime: 45:51
Dipping its toes into polished pop on 2011Æs Life Fantastic, Philadelphia
indie act Man Man obviously found the water rejuvenatingùwith On Oni Pond,
the band has been reborn as hook-focused, crossover experimentalists. ItÆs no
solemn baptism, however. Rather, the record is an enthusiastic belly flop
into accessibility, a frolic in melodies, rhythms, and genres that aims for
broader appeal while still indulging in the off-kilter inclinations that
makes the groupÆs music so delightfully unpredictable. Bringing back producer
Mike Mogis for the second time, itÆs an ambitiously disciplined effort; by
deploying its Zappa-esque eccentricities with purpose, the group focuses the
fracas and avoids sounding wacky for wackinessÆ sake.
The new approach is well summed-up in the albumÆs most notable track, ôHead
On.ö A lush, measured retro-rocker, the song tamps down its guitars and soars
on a delicate interplay of sweetly grand strings, meandering synth lines, and
gentle harmonies. On first pass, frontman Honus HonusÆ lyrics make for a
simple, cutely substance-devoid pop anthem (ôHold on to your heart / Hold it
high above flood waters / Never let nobody drag it underö), but, just under
the surface, itÆs clear that Man ManÆs slyly dark edge hasnÆt gone anywhere
(ôThe life you have led / That is always a mess / Are you dreaming of death?
/ Are there ghosts in your chest?ö). Never before has the band been so
charming and catchy while taking such care to disguise its brashly macabre
themes.
On Oni Pond is chocked full of other beautifully crafted oddities, from the
slick, sweaty stomper ôLoot My Body,ö which winds through a series of big
brass-and-sax detours, to ôDeep Cover,ö a subdued mandolin strummer that
builds with swells of horns and an achingly crooned refrain. Though the
group relies a bit more on piano-pop than usualùthereÆs even a one-minute Tin
Pan Alley-esque aside (ôCurtainsö) thrown in for good measureùthe record
delivers a smorgasbord of styles, serving up dance punk to rock ÆnÆ soul to
new-wave psychedelia with little time wasted in transition. The treatment is
perhaps a touch jarring, as always, but is also a reminder that Man Man
hasnÆt undertaken a forced or false reinvention. The album shrewdly brings
order to the disorder, without streamlining away the bandÆs agreeably quirky
identity.
*
ThereÆs something weirdly delightful about the juxtaposition of Man Man
frontman Honus HonusÆs gravelly, metallic voice with the ukulele lightness of
songs like ôDeep Coverö from On Oni Pond, the bandÆs fifth studio album. ôThe
heart is a motherfucker, IÆm positive of that,ö Honus sings. This is a man
whoÆs not afraid to tell it like it is, or at least as he sees it, which in
his mind is the same thing. The work is, in classic Man Man style, sometimes
brutal and sometimes peculiar, but it always accomplishes exactly what it
sets out to do: possibly to unsettle you, but definitely to make you
reconsider the conventions of rock music as youÆve known them.
Drawing on the experience of Saddle Creek producer and longtime Bright Eyes
member Mike Mogis, Man Man have refined their weirdo sensibilities and eased
some of their wild tendencies in favor of tightly composed, emotionally
powerful narrative. Fifth track ôKing Shivö is undoubtedly dark, even as it
makes you smile at the cleverness of the lyrics and how easily they roll off
HonusÆs tongue. ôCan you even recall the times before your pheromones took
your common sense hostage and left you in the rain to dry?ö he sings,
seemingly without breaking a sweat. Then, as the lyrics register: come to
think of it, no, I canÆt.
ôBorn Tightö is the complicated charmer that sends you on your way. ôMama,
mama, mama, mama, canÆt help you now,ö Honus sings, like the soundtrack to
some demented sock hop. Where once they manically beat you over the head with
their eccentricities, Man Man have developed a subtle hand, allowing the
elements to envelop you slowly. Ultimately, youÆll get as much out of On Oni
Pond as you put in; you might find yourself putting it on as background
music, then letting other tasks fall by the wayside as you try to decipher
how these little ditties pack so much punch.
-=- SHGZ -=-
P.S.
** Thanks ***
*** BCC FNT IPC SSR ***
*** For Knowing Where The Music Is At ***
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* NuHS we miss you! *
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