Wednesday, October 30, 2013

REVIEW: MAN HANDS, a Hot Mess of Prime Sonic Swill


What the Fuck is Going On? …The Phoenix band begs the question in the opening track “Misadventures”. This 7-track gathering of hot and scattered thoughts permeating through the Arizona heat blends “A Different Kind of Tension” and “Confusion Is Sex” into a hastily duct taped ransom package that contains an unstable libido. Led by digital airwave troublemakers Jackie Cruz and Marcus Berry, this album rawks incessantly in experimental noise variables with an emphasis on song and hook through the blurry emotions laid out for your ears. The combination of major and minor scales in the chording blares through with megaphone urgency. The vocals start coursing through your veins to remedy that itch you just can’t cure.

“Fatal Flaws” shakes up your lifeless soul with its spastic swing of dissonance and addictive chorus. I have seriously listened to this track like 50 times. This one is my new favorite as a prerequisite personal anthem to include in all of my questionable activities. Seriously fucking good folks. Choice cuts from this lethal and conniving affair of the poison heart include: “Misadventures”, “Fatal Flaws”, “Teenagers”, and the introspective jagged jangle of “Nothing Left For Me”.

I remember the last time I was in the Phoenix area. I was living with a girl at the time, she was obsessed with my past girlfriend named “Jen”. Drenched in delusional jealousy, everywhere she went, she saw the letter “J”, and kept picturing Jen with me. I went insane having to downplay my relationship with Ms. J to the girl I was dating and living with. It hit a boiling point and May Cause Dizziness Records from Phoenix offered to fly me out. I forgot to mention I was intoxicated for 48 hours straight before arriving at LAX. I’m not sure how I got to LAX or even how they let me board the plane, which I think I missed twice getting sidetracked in the airport bar. I made it to somewhere in Phoenix, I don’t recall how I handled myself after I emergency landed from the 45 minute flight. Wes of Erratic! Radio was my tour guide after Nate of MCD Recs turned in for the night. I was shipwrecked at Wes’s place for a few days, fucked up and thoroughly enjoying the contentment of numbness and pure irresponsibility. I jammed on a Prostitutes track or two with Wes, my girl ended up flying me back to LB. I think Nate and Wes were the only two guys to ever give me a “record release” party for “Kill Them Before They Eat” in 2008. That girl that flew me back, her name begins with a “J” too. That’s the best metaphor I can give for this must-have release. As always, I never review things that I do not like.

–Kevin McGovern


Fear & Loathing in Long Beach Magazine

Man Hands Facebook

Visit F&L on Facebook