The Men – Tomorrow’s Hits (Sacred Bones)

The Men – Tomorrow’s Hits (Sacred Bones)

Some people are starting to take the Men for granted. Or, rather, some people are actually starting to get annoyed with The Men. With the original novelty of “former hardcore band goes classic rock” having worn off by now, the fact that the Men keep churning out a record a year is looking, to some, like diminishing returns. Which is a shame, because Tomorrow’s Hits kills — shaved down to an expertly balanced eight tracks, it might be the tightest distillation of everything these guys are about right now. That means that while there’s all the ragged glory we now expect from them, there are also little modulations the band don’t get quite enough credit for. Tomorrow’s Hits is where the Men most fully commit to a raw, contemporary take on classic rock vibes and tropes, but it also has things like “Different Days,” which could almost be considered “garage krautrock.” The highlight is “Settle Me Down,” a ’60s pop detour that’s also the most gorgeous song the band have yet released. –Ryan [LISTEN]