Apparently no one told me the Valley of LA was now the Arctic Circle. My fingers are as cold as a popular girl’s stare, and every time I go to write about this or that, I have to take a break to put them under my thighs…Being fat can be looked at as a gift in that way. The chill in the air has left me feeling defeated, which can’t be a coincidence since I’m listening to Man The Change’s album of the same name. Defeated is the brand of punk that men listen to. They are those burly guys with sleeve tattoos who don’t quite fit into their Blink-182 tees anymore, but rather a nice Hot Water Music hoodie.
“Val Killed Her” has the line, “Once upon a time…” but the music isn’t full of whimsy and this isn’t Cinderella’s anthem. “Journeyman” is as catchy as Man The Change gets, while “Skeeter” and “Kean’s Revival” pick up the pace of the entire record and that’s where the punk in their sound really comes out. It’s “Under Water” though that captured my attention the most though. Of course you know why, the lyrics. Am I that predictable? Sometimes, yes. But this song was constructed with well-placed lines, and while one shouldn’t have to be reminded to breathe, it’s always helpful to have a musical post-it note reminder.
Unfortunately “Defeated” was just that on Defeated, but the rest of the record was okay enough to make it pull through as a whole. If you’re a fan of Lifetime or The Draft, or a man in his late 20’s-early 30’s and you find yourself out of the music scene because of “adult” responsibilities, may Man The Change welcome you back with Defeated, out now on Hooked On Records.
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