A Man Alive is an endearing listen and has all of the elements of a complete work—even pop-centric singles in “Astonished Man” and “Nobody Dies.”
Thao & the Get Down Stay Down have returned with A Man Alive, a brilliant and cohesive album that surpasses expectation. It's an elaborate showcase of musical talent and diversity; styles are blended between fractured beats and uninhibited vocals, while elements of tension and release are used strongly to toy with listeners' emotions.
It’s ironic that such a painful backstory has birthed this crop of relatively cheerful-sounding — not to mention industrious, and never dull — tracks.
While A Man Alive often feels busy, it’s rarely overbearingly so, due to Nguyen’s ear for an off-kilter pop melody.
Even with quiet moments that forget to entertain, Nguyen sounds like she’s having more fun than ever before on A Man Alive.
This is Thao and the Get Down Stay Down’s fourth record, so their established audience should be accustomed to their quirks. Hopefully potential new fans will give A Man Alive a thorough chance to win them over, because it’s worth the time.
It all makes for a pretty giant leap forward, with the weighty, emotional subject punctured by a Willy Wonka factory of discombobulated guitar pop that has the tUnE-yArDs’ finger print all over it. It’s complicated, but Thao Nguyen is very much alive.
*review I wrote for a newspaper in 2016*
“This record is me releasing whatever I have to,” alt-folk legend Thao Nguyen recently told NPR, “trying to move forward, to forgive. But then a few songs later I feel like I could leave him for dead.” The record in question is A Man Alive, Nguyen's fourth with her band The Get Down Stay Down, and the “him” in question is Nguyen’s father, who phased in and out of her life since her preteen years.
But ... read more
A little rough on the edges.
The sounds came up here usually ended up sounding goofy in my ears, what im saying is they dont sound good.
she does however, have her own sound. I can give her that at least.
ABOVE AVERAGE TRACK(S): Nobody Dies, Millionaire, Give Me Peace
WORST TRACK(S): Fool Forever, Meticulous Bird
A little rough on the edges.
The sounds came up here usually ended up sounding goofy in my ears, what im saying is they dont sound good.
she does however, have her own sound. I can give her that at least.
ABOVE AVERAGE TRACK(S): Nobody Dies, Millionaire, Give Me Peace
WORST TRACK(S): Fool Forever, Meticulous Bird
*review I wrote for a newspaper in 2016*
“This record is me releasing whatever I have to,” alt-folk legend Thao Nguyen recently told NPR, “trying to move forward, to forgive. But then a few songs later I feel like I could leave him for dead.” The record in question is A Man Alive, Nguyen's fourth with her band The Get Down Stay Down, and the “him” in question is Nguyen’s father, who phased in and out of her life since her preteen years.
But ... read more
1 | Astonished Man 3:29 | |
2 | Slash/Burn 3:11 | |
3 | The Evening 3:25 | |
4 | Departure 3:26 | |
5 | Nobody Dies 3:48 | |
6 | Guts 4:05 | |
7 | Fool Forever 3:08 | |
8 | Millionaire 3:05 | |
9 | Meticulous Bird 3:22 | |
10 | Give Me Peace 2:59 | |
11 | Hand to God 3:52 | |
12 | Endless Love 3:47 |
#13 | / | Cosmopolitan |
#30 | / | Paste |