Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Album Review: The Men -Campfire Songs

The Men
Campfire Songs EP
*** out of *****
When The Men recorded their excellent New Moon, the group was so inspired by the upstate New York surroundings that their cup runneth over and some of those extra tracks make an appearance on the Campfire Songs EP.  These acoustic tracks were recorded around the fire outside and they retain a woodsy flair.

It opens with an acoustic take on "I Saw Her Face" from New Moon which is just as good as the original, showing a distinct connection with Neil Young styled song writing and playing. The looseness of the strumming and interacting of musicians feels effortless shaggy and smokey, campfire music indeed. A shaker runs to the forefront on "The Seeds" also an acoustic take on a New Moon song whose melody shimmy's into the ear.

"Waterbabies" has a dissident quality, foreboding and eerie while "Turn Your Color" is a buzzing instrumental that takes a humming flair to the extreme, acoustic art rock anyone? Disk closing "Patience" is a sonic patchwork of what has come before it on the disk fusing styles sounds and tracks over Oh's and Aah's in a playful loose style. The last three tracks clearly feel like outtakes making the EP more of a fun listen then essential.

The band is confident and this release continues to expand their sound and sonic palette. Nature can have an influence on you so can singing around a campfire.
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The more we hear of The Men the more we like. They play Bowery Ballroom in about 1 month, we hope to catch them then.

Support the band here, buy the album here peep some video below:

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