Album Details

• Artist: We Are The Last Men On Earth
• Album: A Girl Named Never
• Label: indie
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: mark_morton on 2012-07-13

This is one of those situations where the accompanying press material underplays the true genius of an artist. The official bio for We Are the Last Men on Earth says that they are "men making a cool sound...for women." Perhaps the bio writer was simply being modest. And from reading about the eclectic nature of the band's artistry, I had expected them to sound somewhere in the realm of Mr. Bungle meets The Mars Volta, but even that doesn't come close to what we actually hear.

Many artists (usually by way of their respective promotional agents) claim to have a sound unlike other bands and hype their "uniqueness," which, nine times out of ten is a flat-out lie. However, I can safely (and honestly) say that I have never heard a band like We Are the Last Men on Earth!

Acoustic guitar, drums, piano, and a brass section are the root of the We Are the Last Men on Earth sound. And while that combination conjures memories of the early works of Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears, this is not a 1970s-sounding band. And when they go minimalist, focusing on slow tempos, piano and brass, the band gives a nod to turn-of-the-century, sunsplashed boardwalk ragtime swing. And yet, for all of these "vintage" comparisons, We Are the Last Men on Earth does not sound dated.

It is a band that truly knows its instruments so well that genre immediately becomes irrelevant. While the bass on "A Girl Called Never" adds a somber flavor with lyrics that sound like love letters to the girls they let slip away, it is not all murk and gloom for the album. "Pickin' Wheat" picks up the tempo and recalls a Midwestern, front-porch jam, while "Clutch and Release" comes as close as the band can to authentic vintage rag. And "Bumble Bee" playfully taunts at a family-friendly waltz.

Somehow concocted this "pure" (for lack of a better term) style of alternative pop that can be perceived as relevant in any era. It is quite honestly a breathtaking performance to witness. And because of the uniqueness of the stylistic components, it is very difficult to find an artist with whom to compare We Are the Last Men on Earth. Probably the best (and I use even that term lightly), the can be equated to They Might Be Giants for the lovelorn.

As for pinpointing a genre, is it "new folk"? Is it "alternative fusion"? I don't know, and I suppose it really doesn't matter what you choose to call it, as long as you are aware that when you listen to We Are the Last Men on Earth, you are guaranteed a musical adventure.

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