The Man Who – Bet on You EP (Virgin/UMG)
The Man Who - Bet on You EP
Release Date: Out Now
Toronto trio The Man Who have managed
to not only release one of my favourite EPs of the year, but they’ve also done
it with their debut release which is pretty impressive. Cutting to the chase,
the five track EP opens with recent single ‘Down’ which appears over the
horizon like the Earth does to astronauts before settling in to an assured
stride, an indie-pop melody and the kind of hooks you could catch whales with
(don’t though, don’t go catching whales, leave them alone). The rhythm section
takes the lead on ‘Natural Villain’ which has the same kind of suave nature as Bastille
but the cooler edge of X Ambassadors and a chorus that features the line “You’re
Machiavellian, natural villain won’t be your fuel” which is, well, hella ambitious
but it really works.
‘Give Me Something’ has a
misleadingly perky synth intro before settling into a twitchy verse and
the
kind of triumphant chorus that could make rock venues and nightclubs kick off
in equal measure. Title track ‘Bet on You’ has a Rag’N’Bone vibe in the deep
bass vibes and uplifting, almost defiant melody – “after all the hell we’ve
been through, I still bet on you”. The infectious and enormously impressive EP
comes to a close with ‘This High’ which deals with the extreme lows felt after
being lifted up high by love – another uber-cool track that worms under your
skin in a way you don’t want to stop. This is slick, passionate, direct and has
no fat hanging off it – you’ll not hear a better debut this year in terms of
the quality and consistency of the music.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/themanwhoband/
Live Dates:
27th September – Mercy Lounge, Nashville
28th September – Hi-Fi Indy, Indianapolis
29th September – Subterranean, Chicago
28th November – The Mansion, Kingston w/BANNERS
29th November – Fairmount Theatre, Montreal
w/BANNERS
30th November – Musee de l’Amerique francophone,
Quebec w/BANNERS
1st December – The 27 Club, Ottawa w/BANNERS
5th December – The Opera House, Toronto w/BANNERS
6th December – Maxwell’s Concerts & Events,
Waterloo w/BANNERS
7th December – Absinthe Hamilton, Hamilton w/ BANNERS
8th December – Rum Runners, London w/BANNERS