New Moon

The Men - New Moon
Critic Score
Based on 31 reviews
2013 Ratings: #439 / 1115
User Score
Based on 98 ratings
2013 Rank: #273
Liked by 1 person
March 5, 2013 / Release Date
LP / Format
Sacred Bones / Label
Garage Rock / Genre
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CRITIC REVIEWS

91
Pretty Much Amazing

These songs champion big rhythms, heavy guitar riffs, an “I don’t give a fuck” attitude, and some well-placed harmonica licks.

90
Consequence of Sound

Sacrificing recklessness is different from sacrificing passion, and New Moon cements The Men as one of the most exciting rock acts today, no matter who they’re listening to or, most importantly, who they’re redefining.

84
Beats Per Minute

New Moon has extended the the group’s realization of their own freedom. 

84
Paste

The Men cover a lot of ground on New Moon, with consistently solid returns. 

83
A.V. Club

A homey, gut-warming batch of tunes that erratically juggle nostalgia, craft, and ass-kicking abandon.  

82
Pitchfork

Like the retired hitman in countless gangster movies who gets pulled in for one last hit, New Moon bristles with all the internal tension of a dormant beast that, try as it may, can't ever be fully tamed. 

80
NME

The place where the anthemic, the noisy and the epic meet is where The Men sound most naturally positioned.

80
PopMatters

It’s full of unquestionably great songs, yet the abrupt changes in pace, tone and style are going to annoy plenty of people, or cause them to question the band’s intentions.

80
DIY

‘New Moon’ is a rare and very special album.

80
SPIN

Often burying their voices in the mix, rendering the words unintelligible without a lyric sheet, the Men can come off oddly shy, even as they unleash a gripping sonic storm. 

70
Tiny Mix Tapes

They seem to understand their sources well enough, but also understand that rock ‘n’ roll favors immediacy and imperfection.

70
musicOMH

Overdriven, overblown and utterly exciting, it might be nothing new, but it’s a thunderous reminder as to why rock is so enduring.

70
No Ripcord

It’s a shame that to prove that The Men packaged together these great songs so haphazardly, but behind questionable production and a display of versatility that skews towards over-adventurousness, New Moon is proof positive that sometimes all you need is a collection of good songs to make a pretty good album.

40
Drowned in Sound

The cumulative effect of lumping so many competing ideas together is a mess. A frustratingly muddled mess.

CheapandLethal
70

Worth a listen

Indiefermag
70

Parece mentira que los imparables The Men (cuarto disco desde 2010) cambien así de registro viendo la velocidad a la que producen y que, encima, les salga tan bien la jugada. Unos cracks.

FinalLifeline
75

The Men capitalize on the sound that made Open Your Heart so good, and ramp up the Americana this time around. The results are entertaining, although at times the album feels muddy and slightly muddled. The songs are very good, great even, but in the end, it's just a good album, and not a great one.

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Added on: January 9, 2013