In addition to the plethora of impressive records that were released in 2012, Melodic Punk outfit Man The Change felt the need to leave their mark before the year wrapped up. Being natives of Brooklyn, New York, Man The Change are completely surrounded by groups who have made it big and other bands who are paving their own path to success, not unlike themselves. Hailing from such a competitive scene only made Man The Change exert themselves even more in order to stand out. Their latest release, Defeated EP, attempts to do just that.
The EP opens with its catchiest song, Val Killed Her, an unstoppable track that forces the listener to keep up with their relentless pace. Its rhythm constantly changes throughout the song, almost with each verse, a note that undoubtedly stands out to the band’s most vigilant listeners. Journeyman, Under Water, and Keon’s Revival can be grouped together due to their melodic and typical old-school Punk combination. Their addition to the EP makes the record’s overall sound more flowing, like they are notable transitions in between a few of the bigger tracks.
Skeeter mirrors the opening track in its extremely fast tempo and upbeat nature. Like most of the tracks on the record, lyrics to Skeeter are very insightful and sometimes easy to spot (“I weathered the storm/Now I find myself sifting through the wreckage/In the hope that I can find the person that I’ve always hoped to be”). Nine times out of ten, lyrics on the EP are delivered in a very The Wonder Years manner; quickly and somewhat easy to miss if one does not listen carefully in the midst of the craziness of the guitars and drums. This technique may not be intended by the band, but is successful for the greats, like The Wonder Years, because willing listeners are involuntarily pressured to rewind and listen to a track over and over again just to get those lyrics down pat. The title track is also the closing song on the EP. Defeated tricks the listener into thinking that it is a slower, calmer tune, a complete one-eighty from the five previous songs, but then picks up into a dark and fast-paced anthem. Aggressive gang vocals and darker tones ringing out from the guitars close the album out with a strong finish.
With their Defeated EP, Man The Change show their consistency with their overall sound, which can be a good thing and bad thing. Most of the songs progress to that same high tempo track that is laced with those rapid drum beats and heavy guitar and bass work that we all know and love. But the quality and originality among all the consistency proves that Man The Change is a band that shows promise, and has left room for growth and improvement with this record.
Tracklist:
1. Val Killed Her
2. Journeyman
3. Skeeter
4. Keon's Revival
5. Under Water
6. Defeated
Rating:
Written by Melissa Jones
