A Set Of Steak Knives
NocturnalSol, 2022
9/10
Listen to A Set Of Steak Knives
The sophomore album from the L.A. and Chicago trio Man’s Body, Greg Franco, J. Niimi, and Marco Obaya describe themselves as ‘soft-punk’, and there’s a whole lot else going on in these varied and unpredictable tunes, too.
“Contact Sigh” opens the listen with a dreamy atmosphere and gentle, cozy singing that touches on ‘80s New Wave with its warm synth, and “The Natural Host” follows with thumping drums and a lo-fi jangle that touches on early ‘90s college rock.
Moving along, “Hit The Bricks!” brings an anthemic quality with more firm vocals, hand clapping and plenty of grit, while “Bed Of Nails (Trying)” recruits a thick buzzing that’s got a bit of grunge to it. “Blue Ruin”, perhaps the album’s best, then presents a lush and cautious display of hazy, cinematic, artistic rock.
Approaching the end, “A Shower And A Cigarette” emits some post-punk ideas into the angular and throbbing landscape, and “I Left The Set Of My Own TV Show” exits with agile drumming, shimmering synth and pretty vocal harmonies.
An extremely smart and well crafted affair, this is an ideal listen for aging punks, those nostalgic for early ‘90s rock and even modern day indie-rock fans who are tired of the same old same old.
Travels well with: Hushdrops- The Static; Charming Disaster- Our Lady Of Radium