Man Like Me – Man Like Me

There are times in this business when you're handed the album that will change your life. You know, the one that completely runs over your previous perspective on what genres of music you felt you held some sort of allegiance to, and opens about a million doors to all kinds of crazy and unfamiliar music.Man Like Me's self titled debut is not one of these albums. Well, not to the same extent anyway. Call it a halfway house between new and old. Most listeners will be able to hear something they like in this collection of songs, but will also find many samples and tasters of things they are new and unprepared for. It's a bit of a genre mashing masterpiece, that thankfully ultimately falls slap bang in the 'pop' category, which is a bit of a godsend as most eclectic music often ends up falling by the pretentious wayside.Riotous and infectious, songs like 'Party' and 'Single Dad' are suitable for most clubs, pubs, dance floors, bedrooms...well, pretty much anywhere good times are being had. At least half of the tunes on this album could easily be singles, but it is balanced out well by a couple of well placed breaks in pace. Slightly more abstract songs like 'Doughnut', which sounds like a Grease song fed through a few bashed up 80's synthesizers do a lot to add variation to the album. It's not all about the good times...just mostly. You also get a potted history of garage with 'London Town', a single that is nostalgic to the point of wondering where DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies really went to.Yeah, horrible one-hit wonder mainstream point of reference included for bonus scene points!You have to wonder however, where the inspiration for the lyrical content comes from. Wait....no you don't. Every song is bloody obvious. Obvious to the point of blatancy. If you need an example, listen to 'Fruit', which sounds like Example and Hadouken! doing a duet over an evening's bucket of drugs and a kids TV theme. Man Like Me are one of the only bands I've listened to that can fit the lyric 'Plums, they remind me of your mums, too many will give you the runs' into a song and almost get away with it. I've listened to this album many many times, and I still cannot tell for the life of me whether this works, or if its just plain weird.Regardless, I challenge you to listen to this album and not enjoy it. There's something here for everyone, wrapped up in an essentially British package and given a smooth, well produced varnish until it shines like the jewel case it's presented in. Man Like Me is an Ian Dury and The Blockheads for the Noughties, eloquent and self-referential, authentic and innovative. With the splash caused by Jamie T and his ilk a few years ago, one hopes that there is still interest for the crafty cockney voice because M.L.M. have the tunes to back up the chat (that legendary chat!), and a large amount of mainstream appeal thrown into the bargain. 82%

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