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The M's latest, Real Close Ones, opens with a squall of guitars and a piano fighting its way out of the mounds of fuzz its buried under before it's pushed back down in the mix by a swelling line of horns. The band's modus operandi of mixing noise with undeniable melody seems to be back in full effect.
Or is it?
After the brawling opener the band suddenly pulls back with more intimate arrangements, dialing down the volume and allowing the separate instruments to speak distinctly without some of the claustrophobic sheets of noise that ran through previous albums. After the heavier Future Women, which we certainly dug in its own right, it's nice to hear the band taking a bit of a breather.
Songs like the slowly unwinding "Papers" and the Pink Floyd jugband of "Breakfast Score" typify the overriding sound of the disc after the initial outburst of the opening (and aptly named) "Big Sound" described earlier. Sometimes the band slips a little too close to being buried by a particular influence, for instance "Naked" could have been a Harry Nillsson outtake, but for the most part they channel their idols and reign in their sound to produce yet another album proving that some of the best bands out there right now come from Chicago.
MP3: The M's "Big Sound"
MP3: The M's "Don't Be Late"
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I'm not sure they'll ever top their first few EPs they cobbled into their first full-length ("My Gun" came close) but this is a fine record, and they're even better live.
And that album artwork is completely and totally the hunter mural from Simon's Tavern. TRIVIA
You know, I really do like the Ms and have seen them plenty of times. Friend of a friend of someone in the band.
Love Future Women. But after a few streamed listens of the new album, this just isn't anything that would interest me in a live setting. I can't pinpoint it totally, but I think it would just be too slow, and I hate to say it, but, lazy, live. Nothing has a drive to it - not that it's bad - but I want to go to a show to see a band that has previously rocked pretty well continue to do exactly that. I did give it quite a few listens, and it was just a bit samey. They've made their mark with killer harmonies that most bands would sell their arms for, but I think it's become a bit too standard. It's like a constant wave of up and down harmonies that serves as a sort of additional reverb device across songs.
With some more listens I'm sure it will grow on me; I just hope there's a good balance of old and new for their live shows.