Man Man
Rabbit Habits
Anti Records (www.anti.com)
Philadelphian avant-rockers Man Man fit on the Anti label – an imprint with such artists as Tom Waits, Nick Cave, and Bob Mould – like hand in glove. Their work encompasses multi-instrumental experimentation, histrionic vocals, and distillation of a variety of musical styles. There’s a warmly exuberant wackiness in “The Ballad of Butter Beans,” which pits quirky xylophone freneticism against shouted lead vocals and diametrically opposed backing vocal “coos.” The ironically titled “Doo Right” wittily lampoons Fifties rock archetypes; but the song constantly provides swerves in the structure, elongating and truncating the harmonic changes seemingly at will. On the other hand, “Easy Eats or Dirty Dr. Galapagos” and “Top Drawer” channel the berserk gonzo aesthetic of vintage Captain Beefheart and Waits’s Swordfishtrombones.
While all of the energetic performances on Rabbit Habits create a stirring, kaleidoscopically hued, experience, there is affecting songwriting here as well. In particular, the title tune, on which the band allows things to be stripped down, preferring a simple voice-piano arrangement, is a delightful pop delicacy: a welcome respite in the midst of the prevailing “everything-PLUS-the kitchen sink” ambience. It will be interesting to hear Man Man continue to cultivate both sides of their creative personae as they continue to record.
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