With a band name like The Men, it’s hard not to get confused with the pop band from the early 90s and the Le Tigre side project. But The Men that I’m referring to is the Brooklyn-based punk quartet that made an impact last year with their highly impressive album Leave Home. Typically, bands leave around a year or two between releases. Apparently that doesn’t apply to them as they will be releasing a new 10-track album entitled Open Your Heart on March 6 via Sacred Bones.
The eponymous track as a whole can simply be described as vintage. The guitar riffs create a tremolo-lined melody, reminiscent of the post-hardcore genre in the early 90s, while the pounding percussion leans more towards old-school punk than garage rock. The song builds towards the breakdown at the two-minute mark as the jangling guitars create tension that doesn’t seem to reach a resolution. The real highlight here is Nick Chiericozzi’s vocals which are a bit cleaner and adds a bit of emphasis on emotional lines such as “I am who I am, I’m here for you to see” and “even if she says so, I won’t let go.”
Newton’s first law of motion states that an object in motion stays in motion. “Open Your Heart” fulfills that law, as it’s a show of proof that The Men intend to carry the momentum and intense energy from their previous effort onto their upcoming album.
