Man On Earth

Man On Earth,"Disposable Sounds for the Fickle Mind" (Forward Thinking)
NYC’s Man on Earth plays the kind of melancholic music you’d expect from a British outfit, yet this quartet wraps their offerings around mid-tempo atmospheres that contain ample dollops of angst-ridden Americana and soulful alternative. Sticklers for creating sounds, bare yet lush arrangements on tracks like “It’s Alright, We’ll Be Fine” evoke Elvis Costello jamming out with Wilco, while the neo-soul sounds of Sade meets Prince prevail on “Mirror” before it melts into oblivion and the huge rock guitar riff from “Lazy” reveals the band’s affection of Pink Floyd at their most arena rockiest. Smart bands are hard to come by, and bands that are musically ambitious and smart are even more rare, so finding Man on Earth is both refreshing and reaffirming.
www.forwardthinkingrecords.com
Rating: 4 stars
Review by Mike SOS - SOS

God knows what Man on Earth were thinking when they decided to name an all-important debut album Disposable Sounds for the Fickle Mind, but what at first seems like a backfiring attempt at irony quickly resolves into a show of great confidence instead. Surprisingly mature and far-reaching, the album is really too eclectic to simplify with easy comparisons, but what the hell: it mostly combines a melodic, post-Britpop sensibility with sharper-edged American guitar muscle, then tops it off with thoughtful (if anything, too thoughtful) lyrics. After starting with a couple of solid, simultaneously supple and purposefully determined offerings in "The Great Discontent" and "Grow," the band's formula breaks down just a tad with the over-indulgent ambitions of "It's all Been a Dream" — solid backing orchestration and all. But the overall balance is instantly redressed thereafter with a pair of album highlights — as different as they are successful. First up is the exceedingly mellow "Come in Closer," with its dreamy, Pink Floyd-like disposition; and, secondly, the darkly muscular, ready-made single "Lazy," with its alternating punchy power chords and delicate pickings. Results continue to vary thereafter, but even though Man on Earth's never-wavering, risk-taking creativity isn't always quite done justice by their still burgeoning songwriting chops, that's not to say that additional creations such as the heart wrenching "It's Alright, We'll Be Fine," the heavily Kid A-reliant "Anywhere but Here," and the flamenco style guitar work of "Taking Closure" don't prove victorious in the end; all of which makes this a very impressive and promising first album.
- by Ed Rivadavia - all music guide

In the placard shuffling tradition of Dylan and Hutchence, mindful messages delivered in modern riff and context. - Lonn Friend / RIP Magazine, MTV, VH1

"an introspective, decidedly urban album that combines confident musicianship with vulnerable yet defiant lyrics" - ALT Division

At first listen many bands will set off alarms in your head like "Oh no, here we go with another band that sounds like...." or, "Didn’t I hear this song before?" Although the album still plays, you’re already subconsciously immune to the music. Once in awhile you might listen closer for a cool guitar riff or catchy melody line that sparks your interest, only to have that tidbit of information quickly fade away behind what you’ve already branded as "Sold Out Commercial Rock".

Believe it or not, there are bands that do go against this theory, Man On Earth is one of those. Steven Nathan (Vocals, guitar, piano), Ron Ferrante (guitar), Myles Ouziel (bass), and Alex Giacari (Drums) have been the nucleus of Man On Earth since 2002. They’ve put their efforts together to create the debut album entitled "Disposable Sounds For The Fickle Mind". The work teeters on a strong helping of alternative rock, catchy vocal melodies and a wide variety of musical styles to keep you coming back for more. Add the talents of Ken Lewis (Lenny Kravitz, Beastie Boys, Soul Asylum) who mixed the album and we are left with a very strong collection of songs that are not only interesting but sound great.

The first thing you’ll notice about Man On Earth is the vocal styles of frontman Steven Nathan weaving in and out of the music rhythmically while sounding a bit like Faith No More singer Mike Patton. The lead off song on the album is entitled "The Great Discontent". Not only do the vocal phrasings of Nathan sound similar to the Faith No More frontman but the music is also easily comparable to the band. I’m already impressed with the production and it’s obvious that "The Great Discontent" was the best song to open the album boasting loud guitars and capturing every ounce of emotion put into the vocal performance. If you’re looking for an assortment of song styles, look no further.

The album continues on with the song entitled "Grow". The band sheds the shell they’ve already created with the first song and goes for a very straightforward, modern rocker featuring lush guitar work and a powerful chorus. I’m starting to see the talents and different voices of frontman Stephen Nathan. As the song styles change, Nathan follows right along adapting his vocals to what the song needs. "It’s All Been A Dream" is a prime example of this, a slower song with hints of Soul Asylum but Nathan fits the bill altering his vocals and lyrics to work with the song and not against it.

The vibe that Man On Earth has created is somewhat of a dark, mysterious feel with bright chorus’s. The song "Lazy" contains these elements beginning with a dark verse and presenting a catchy chorus with lyrics such as "I’m so lazy, she can’t save me." A theme that is displayed in "Lazy" and many other songs on the album is the great guitar work by Nathan and Ferrante identifying the dark/bright element in their music. Many times throughout the album the guitars provide the perfect backdrop behind the vocals with both guitars doing something completely different. If you have two guitar players in the band, you might as well use ‘em and Man On Earth does an excellent job of providing dynamic and soft passages with the guitars.

Another straightforward rocker, "Lackluster" is one of the strongest songs on the album. We find the band going off on a more rock/pop direction on "Lackluster" which is comparable to such bands as Radford or Stir. The real treat on the album is a song called "It’s Alright, We’ll Be Fine".

A slow, acoustic based number, "It’s Alright, We’ll Be Fine" is by far the standout with heartfelt lyrics and a variety of sounds to get the emotional point across. The song also features piano and strings creating a backdrop behind lyric lines like "Turn off the T.V., I’ve heard enough bullshit today" and "We break down, sometimes, it’s all in our mind". Anyone can relate to the song, the band has really just put themselves in mind of the listener with "It’s Alright, We’ll Be Fine".

Featuring a wide variety of musical styles, Man On Earth has created a debut album which offers something for everyone. With their excellent dynamics and a great lead singer in Stephen Nathan, you just can’t go wrong with this record. Fusing different flavors into one sound is often unheard of, but the band shows they have the talent and songwriting skills to keep their music interesting and in the ears of the listener. Check out Man On Earth and see for yourself.

- Anti Music - by Chris Stum

Introspective, occasionally experimental, but not too pretentious, this New York City band has been generating a huge swell of interest for its independently released debut album. Although the band brings to mind acts such as Radiohead, U2 and even late-period Pink Floyd, the music is openhearted and melodic, recorded with a crystal clarity that makes it a much easier listen than most modern rock of this ilk. There is still plenty of crunch in moody, rhythmic rockers such as "The Great Discontent" and "Grow" and alt-pop friendly songs such as "Lazy" and "Lackluster." This is definitely a band to watch. - By MARK WILSON, Music critic

"Some really cool stuff... Man On Earth is a band worth definitely checking out!"
- Matt Pinfield - WRXP

"I thoroughly enjoyed working on this album and think that it will be a smash hit!"
- (Dr. Fink / Prince & The Revolution)

Man On Earth flirts with Elvis Costello pop punchiness, but ultimately settles on a more modern sound."
- (Time Out New York)

New Yorkers Man On Earth are our Best Bet, thanks to their excellent new single "All We Want." "All We Want" melds the anthemic energy of Jimmy Eat World with some cool guitar work certainly influenced by The Edge.
- (Joey Odorisio FMQB)