I first heard about Brooklyn’s Man The Change via a PunkNews announcement about the band organising a Kickstarter project. If they got enough sponsors before March 13th they were going to use this to bankroll the pressing of the record on vinyl and send it out to their sponsors – along side other cool items. Unfortunately due to various commitments I didn’t write this review in time to help plug their project, so instead you’ll be seeing this review go up sometime in May. It’s a shame, really, as Kickstarter is proving to be a really excellent method of supporting DIY filmmakers, musicians, game developers and more, and it can be really inspiring – provided you get enough promotion to whip up attention for what you’re working on.
Anyway, onto the music! Okay, straight up, Man the Change play very 90s-esque pop punk with a real skate vibe that I wouldn’t feel too daft about describing as skatecore. There’s a real NOFX feel at points with some of the vocals and drums, and a lot of the band’s sound is obviously inspired by the cream of the 90s EpiFat crop. So there’s a really strong element of “if you dig that shit, you will like this” to this review because, ultimately, Man The Change don’t do much that’s new so they won’t convert anyone. If, however, you enjoy direct, intense, passionate and melodic punk rock, then this is a solid record of such and is well worth checking out.
A bit more on some specific songs: ‘Useless’, my favourite track so far, features a rhythm built up by stabby chords and lead that matches rather than ignoring said rhythm. There’s a ska-punk edge to it as well – definitely dipping into the harder-edged end of the ska-punk pool rather than the whimsical or brass-heavy, mind. In an indefinable way there’s something timelessly punk rock about this tune, in that different parts and elements draw from 80s, 90s and 00s stylistic flourishes and techniques. Then there’s ‘Rambo Vs. Bas Rutten (1v1)’ with a neat, cheeky little guitar lick and a slick minor key chord progression, and some more slick lead in ‘Nosebleeds’ which also has some cool gruff backing vocals. The same song is weak in points, though: the lead and rhythm don’t mesh perfectly in the intro, and the lyrics feature punx clichés such as “It’s time to take this back”. Another weaker tune is ‘Get Me the Clippers’, which is pretty much the definition of unmemorable punk rock and overstays its welcome at a hefty four and a half minutes.
Overall, though, Weather the Storm‘s high points far outweigh the lows. It’s an unpretentious piece of respectable melodic skatecore (yep), it’s free from Bandcamp, and there’s a giant squid on the cover. What more do you want?
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