New Moon (The Men album)
| New Moon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by The Men | ||||
| Released | 5 March 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2012 | |||
| Genre | Punk rock | |||
| Length | 46:05 | |||
| Label | Sacred Bones Records | |||
| The Men chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |
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| The A.V. Club | B+ |
| Consequence of Sound |
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| Drowned in Sound |
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| NME | 8/10 |
| Pitchfork Media | 8.2/10 |
| Popmatters | 8/10 |
| Slant Magazine |
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| Sputnikmusic | 3.8/5.0 |
| Tiny Mix Tapes |
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New Moon is the fourth studio album by the Brooklyn punk rock band The Men, released March 5, 2013 on Sacred Bones Records. The album continued a trend set by the band's previous album Open Your Heart, with more melodic songs and less noise rock influences. The album incorporated influences from psychedelic music, Americana and country rock. New Moon received mostly positive reviews, with some critics praising the album's more accessible sound, while others criticizing the album's lack of focus.
On April 28, 2012, The Men announced that they were going to record a follow up to Open Your Heart, to be released in the spring of 2013. The band recorded the album at Big Indian, New York in a cabin in the Catskill Mountains. Regarding the album's recording location, drummer Rich Samis said, "We were touring a bunch before that [..] So to go and live in this house wasn't that radical of an idea. It wasn't like, 'Oh my God, this is so crazy.' It was natural." Most of the songs on New Moon were recorded in one or two takes. During New Moon's recording session, the band also recorded a six-song EP titled Campfire Songs, which was a collection of songs The Men recorded by a campfire.
In a press release, the band described New Moon as their "most intensely personal" album yet. The band elaborated on that description with Consequence of Sound, saying that New Moon was personal because it was more "stripped down" and "a little more naked" than previous Men records.
Whereas The Men's first two albums, Immaculada and Leave Home, were noted for their abrasive sound, New Moon continued the down the path established by the Men's 2012 album Open Your Heart, with more melodic songs and less noise rock influences. The album incorporated country rock, classic rock, psychedelic music and Americana elements into the album. For specific artists, writers have cited Neil Young, MC5, Hüsker Dü, Yo La Tengo, Dusty Springfield, The Replacements and Dinosaur Jr. as influences. In an interview with The Village Voice, the Men claimed that Tom Petty was a major influence on the album.
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