Men I Trust’s Once Jazz Is the Band’s Most Ambitious Album Yet

I will confidently argue to anyone that the last five years have been a groundbreaking era for indie pop music, with artists like Cuco, Boy Pablo, and Rex Orange County unexpectedly making their way to the limelight. Nevertheless, with so many previously unknown artists hitting the mainstream, much of the music we hear today—even on local radio stations such as the Current that play a wide variety of music from emerging indie artists—has begun to sound the same. And although listening to music that is occasionally redundant is not always a bad thing, it is through this haze of ukulele lullabies, trippy rock songs, and campy pop jams that I have found myself craving something new. Men I Trust is finally that something.

Initially, it would be easy to overlook the band among the mass of lo-fi pop groups. The sorts with heavy bass lines, chilling vocals, and Polaroids for album art. However, Men I Trust stands out in its carefree aesthetic, for making music that’s good—because it’s good, not because in fits with any ideal hipster trend. Intentional or not, the music the band releases seems to embody the sound of a happy accident, with lead singer Emma Proulx’s voice carelessly wafting above the band’s groove in almost a whisper.

On the group’s third full-length album, Oncle Jazz, released on September 13, 2019, the band appears to be more engrossed with jamming out with one another than pleasing any particular listener, as the 24-song record flows like a rose-colored fever dream. In fact, it sounds more like a dusty cassette tape you would find in your garage than an album released in 2019, and perhaps that is one of the reasons this record is so mesmerizing—you wouldn’t expect to hear such an album today. But before we are allowed to enter this basement-esque music session, in the first track Proulx welcomes us in a heavy Quebec accent (the band hails from Montreal). What ensues is a playful synthesized riff with no vocals that teases us with anticipation, the kind of music we would hear in an elevator as we wait to reach our floor. “Norton Commander,” the second song on the album, is that floor. And such playfulness seems to directly parallel this next song’s flood of reverb, which comes off as purposefully heavy-handed.

Reverb is used almost constantly in this album, but unlike many other bands, Men I Trust seems to employ it in a way that enhances the music rather than distracts from it. It would seem that for them, reverb is just another instrument, rather than an ostentatious tool used to mask subpar talent. And with this instrument, in their case, no matter how much is applied, it never seems to take away from the soul or integrity of the album.

Following “Norton Commander,” is “Days Go By,” a song that slows down the pace but possess the same dreamy delirium. The rest of the album continues this way, alternating between faster-paced grooves such as “Seven” and introspective yet powerful songs like “Numb,” all sharing the commonality of a grumbling baseline, a wonky guitar, and Proulx’s wispy vocals. Sandwiching such elements could have the makings of a disaster, but somehow, the band makes it work. Perhaps this is due the attention afforded to all of them, as no one instrument takes center stage; instead, their musical prowess is combined and creates something uniquely spectacular.

Although the band seems to fall mainly into the category of dream pop, the combination of sounds seems to formulate undertones of funk, R&B, and jazz within Men I Trust’s music. The groovable and undeniably slick melodies that are sometimes paired with a smooth piano solo (“Alright”) or even a catchy synthesized effect (“Air” and “Slap Pie”) are yet another reason why the group stands out from the rest. Although their hazy sound is similar to bands like Beach House, Men I Trust differs in that they are incredibly multidimensional, with every song holding unique instrumental qualities. And as the listener sways back and forth—as you will listening to this album, I promise—it can only be assumed that the band is doing the same, as the music seems well suited to a night in a dimly lit club, bar, or lounge, soft adult pop blaring in the background.

Oncle Jazz, however, is not meant to be an album you simply forget about, despite it being the kind of music you could play in almost any setting. There is something oddly special and entrancing about Men I Trust’s music, whether that may be the trio’s lack of pretense or simply their undeniable coolness. Whatever it may be, this is clearly a band trying to make a name for themselves, and they already have toured across the globe, performing in Minneapolis’s 7th Street Entry just last February. But with the album actually out now, hopefully their next show in the Twin Cities will contain an audience of thousands rather than a hundred bar attendees, with the band finally receiving the recognition it deserves as a crucial member of the indie-pop kingdom.