The Men – Singles Going Home Alone #3 (Matador)

The Men are, quite simply, one of the most dynamic and exciting bands in the land right now. Much like how Fucked Up has redefined hardcore for this generation, The Men have pushed the boundaries of punk and noise without losing ferocity or quality. The band is on the uptick, to be sure. They are ever adding genres into their repertoire. They could not have picked two more different tracks to have on either side of this red 7”. Who knew that after recording my favorite album of the year (so far) that they had any more stellar songs in them? I guess I should have. The A-side, “Jennifer”, is a departure. It’s a ballad without the southern elements that inhabited the similar tracks on Open Your Heart. The B-side is where things get really juicy. “New Pop,” is fast, loud, and infectious. It is almost a declaration that pop as we knew it is over. In a way, that’s true anyhow. This song is nearly flawless and would have been one of the two best songs on their album. The fact that the band treats it as a relative afterthought shows their ruthless perfectionism and insanely high standards.