My Man

65 Songs [7-inch] (2013)

Greg

My Man, an indie pop/folk punk quartet from Toronto, hit all the right notes for me. Furiously strummed acoustic guitar, up-tempo drums and wispy male/female vocals singing catchy little melodies.

"Pittsburgh, PA" starts the 7-inch off with a clanging acoustic at a nice clip and Rachel and Jacob (last names omitted by request of the band) singing the melody together an octave apart. "I like you better when you're around" breaks down to the famous "Be My Baby" drumbeat to end the tune. Appropriately, banjo kicks off "Ten Gallon Hat," which later features slide acoustic guitar. Another fast drumbeat really makes it a hoedown.

They re-recorded and added to my favorite song from their debut Foul Brood, "Graft vs. Host," which was originally under a minute. Glad they added another thirty seconds to it, as it's a tune which sums up what the band do best. It has a great melody and perfect gaps in the chorus for synchronized jumps, were they New Found Glory or something.

One gripe I have is that nearly every song is the same tempo. Granted, it's a rockin' feel throughout, but they could stand to mix it up some. "Diane Court is Egg's Mom" is slightly slower, thankfully, but still a toe-tapper and only one of five tracks.

My Man is right in my wheelhouse but I would love to see them stretch their sonic parameters on a full length. Gimme a couple longer songs (would three minutes kill ya?) and slow one or two down! Very enjoyable quick EP though.