Untourable Album, by Men I Trust (2021)

It was the end of a tough day that followed a tough month. As I jumped on my tram homebound I craved something calming, sweet and dreamy. Brainstorming for a guaranteed easy listening solution led me to the most recent album from ‘Men I Trust’.

Although I had spent heaps of time listening to them during Uni days, they hadn’t really featured in my listening cycles for the past few years, so I was doubly excited to get stuck into their new album. Firstly, to calm myself down after work with their memorable soft pop-rock, and secondly, to reacquaint myself with a band that was one of my old favourites.

‘The Untourable Album’ was released during covid lockdowns but the unusual timing of the album’s release certainly hadn’t impacted the band’s usual sound, at least at face value. Just like their previous work the album was full of groovy tunes that were heavy on the bass and complimented by soft dreamy vocals.

I particularly enjoyed the more upbeat tracks like ‘Sugar’ or ‘Lifelong Song’ however these examples of more ‘upbeat’ tracks speak to how slow and understated this album is, which at times even felt a little boring. Once making the appropriate mood adjustment though reveals a lot to like about ‘The Untourable Album’. ‘Tree Among Shrubs’ featured some great harmonies and ‘Serenade Of Water’ was smooth and seductive.

However like a camera lens covered in vaseline, the production of this album left no harsh lines or sharp corners. Tracks like ‘Before Dawn’ featured heavy drone sounds as did ‘Ante Meridiem’. ‘Shoulders’ did offer a crisper and sharper sound but I can only describe that track as delicate and uneasy. It was as if the band was uncomfortable when slightly veering away from drones and soft sounding harmonies.

And maybe that is how ‘The Untorable Album’ was impacted by covid. I initially interpreted the album’s moodiness as the band refining their sound and leaning into elements that were always present in their music, however, the lack of joy on this album points to something deeper than than that.

There was a distinct global sense of isolation when this album was released, coupled with the somewhat sobering and lonely experience of growing up, and compounded by a remote Canadian home base, this album by ‘Men I Trust’ signals to me a less hopeful attitude from the band. The album’s exploration of relationships, rather than the self-identity (which was more present in the band’s earlier work) also suggests a longing for connection was present in the band’s mind when putting this album together.

I do wish there was more variety in the mood of the album. Whilst listening to it I found myself thinking about ‘Tailwhip’ – one of their earlier releases that always brought a smile to my face. Whilst enjoyable and relaxing, this album generally gave you less positive songs to smile about.