Search - The M's :: Real Close Ones

As usual, The M's make melody look easy

Sal Nudo | Champaign, Illinois | 07/27/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

""This is gonna be a hit," my friend told me as we watched The M's perform the breezy song "Pigs Fly" from the CD "RealCloseOnes" at Schubas in Chicago. Though I could understand his captivation with singer/guitarist Josh Chicoine's falsetto, and why he was drawn to the tune's easy vibe and mesmerizing keyboard work that floats in and out, truth be told, any of the ditties from "RealCloseOnes" could be a radio "hit." Then again, that's par for the course from The M's, who create mellifluous albums like Stephen Pearcy of RATT used to spew sexual innuendos. Mostly forgoing the harder guitar crunch heard on great albums like Future Women and The M's -- and a bit more sprawling -- "RealCloseOnes" is a melodious assortment of songs ripe with top-notch singing and great arrangments that are enhanced by intermittent instruments such as keyboards, sax, trombone and cello for added texture. And, as mentioned, though it's less prominent than on past albums, there's still some crunchy guitar work that is air-guitar worthy.



The vivacious "Big Sound" leads off "RealCloseOnes," scratchy, full of vigor and featuring great trumpet work by guest musician Dave Max Crawford; it sets the tone for another mellisonant CD by this band. Laid-back songs like "Papers," "Ultraviolent Men," "Naked" and "Trying to Keep" are meant to be played on a lazy summer day in the shade -- or in the sun, as the beautiful, Beatles-esque "Days in the Sun" practically begs listeners to fantasize about. Elsewhere, "Impossible View" is a great rocker that's interspersed with low-key, ethereal moments; and my personal favorite, "Bros in Arms," contains a cheeky chorus that boasts a tinge of 1980s-era new wave (a la Missing Persons) that's impossible to resist.



With a third album under their belt, The M's seem to have grown a bit musically. Though the band has always been ultra-catchy and easy to like, these songs contain a bit more depth, spacing and perhaps a hint of weariness in the sound that wasn't as noticeable on earlier albums. But whether it's Chicoine's aforementioned higher-pitched vocals or the lazier drawl of Joey King, whose retro-ish voice recalls the days of Donovan and the Beatles, every one of these songs is a winner. If Syd Barrett were alive today, he'd love The M's."