Men I trust is a band to keep your eye on. The group shows all the now-classic signs of an impending upward trajectory, from the low-key success of their 2022 single “Billie Toppy” to their well-received 2021 release of Untourable Album.
Men I Trust is set to release two records this year, that’s good news for fans and dream pop enthusiasts alike. Equis Asinus is the first of the two and is a surprise release, with the band only giving a week's notice before its drop. It’s a moody offering, and paints pictures of solitude — but not in a sad way (for the most part). It’s tailor-made for putting your headphones on and drifting away to chill. Or, in my case, consuming way too much coffee while I was listening, but avoiding the usual caffeine jitters by listening to the album.
“I Come With Mud” starts the album off strong with its Mazzy Star vibes and a slide guitar that pairs perfectly with Emmanuelle Proulx’s disarming vocal. It's definitely an album highlight. “Heavenly Flow,” with its Mac DeMarco inspired synth (or maybe guitar, its hard to tell) is a stand-out, beautiful track that could melt the hearts of the coldest-blooded. “Frost Bite” made me feel like I was in The Legend of Zelda, roaming around The Lost Woods. There's something about the song that summons a sense of innocent joy/exploration even with the chord progression leaning on more of a minor key.
On first listen, “I Don’t Like Music” is the saddest song on the record. The guitar chords bring up feelings of melancholy and the vocal builds that feeling. By the end of the song, you're left with a notion that Proulx has a love/hate relationship with music, which seems to be common among artists.
Personally, my only gripe with the record is the final track, “What Matters Most.” It’s a jazzy instrumental number that has some strange background noise, which in-and-of itself isn't a big deal. However, it persisted throughout the tune, and caused me to continuously take my headphones off because I thought my cat was getting into some sort of nonsense in the apartment. A funny complaint, but seriously, what is that noise??
Overall, Men I Trust come off strong and self-confident with this release. The feeling that they have perfected a “sound” is very apparent. I feel like I could hear the first two seconds of any of these on the radio and would be able to say “Oh — that’s Men I Trust.” In an oversaturated indie rock landscape, that’s not an easy feat to have achieved. This makes me all the more excited for the companion album release, coming sometime later this year.
The band has just announced a North American tour, and if you feel so inclined to catch Men I Trust live, the closest Iowa show will be Aug. 9 at the Midland Theater in Kansas City. I’m hoping to be there!
Either way, if you like your indie music dreamy, pretty, emotion-filled but not over-the-top, check out Men I Trust. You’ll be happy you did.
