Men I Trust, Ronan @ Sonia 03/24
On Saturday, March 24, Boston-based duo Ronan and Montreal’s Men I Trust performed at Sonia for an unbalanced night of music.
Opener Ronan, led by vocalist Craig Ronan and supported by drummer Abel, quickly proved they are still figuring out their sound. Emanating confidence, Ronan swaggered up to the stage and immediately began his upbeat, drum-heavy set. His vocals, though, lacked any range or passion. Songs fluctuated between rock to rap. At one point, he relied only on a vocal modulator and shallow lyrics that repeat, “ring ring / let it go to voice messaging.” Some of his songs could not be heard well because the audience talked through it; there was a collective confusion as to why the band opened for such a soft, well-established band.
Once the members of Men I Trust arrived on stage shortly after, the audience breathed a sigh of collective relief as the band’s presence wrapped them up in an embrace. Men I Trust is an indie, DIY band comprised of members Emma, Jessy, Mathieu, and Alexis; they have an underwhelming internet presence and overwhelmingly impressive slew of sounds coated in simple, dreamy tones.
Men I Trust is happy with their creations, as they write, produce, mix, master, and film all of their music themselves. They clearly have bundled their own passions into their music. They are not touring a new album, as their last album Headroom was released in 2015, but they have released pockets of singles since then.
Wearing non-distinct, plain clothing and small smiles, the four began the set by launching into popular song “Lie to Me.” Their own ease and comfort with performing invited the audience to an intimate show. They escaped into their own worlds, sharing dreamy smiles with one another as Emma sang friendly lyrics, “You and I, we are one / would you lie with me? / you speak in ways / I thought were only mine.”
After the opening song, Men I Trust travelled back in time, drawing on a few of their older songs as well. “Break for Lovers” and “Morse Code” offered a nostalgically complete sound, and also allowed listeners to hear the growth of the band since the release of the songs.
There was not a lot of singing or dancing during this concert, which was unexpected. Emma checked in with the audience at one point, asking, “Are you guys having fun?” with a gentle lilt of voice.
A lot of Men I Trust’s songs explore human relationships, leading the focus to land on the vocals. Playing recently released singles “Show Me How” and “You Deserve This,” vocalist Emma experimented with her vocal range, and keyboardist Dragos used his own creative ability to play off of their original songs.
The band treated the audience at the end of the show with an unreleased song, “I Hope to Be Around,” that held the same sound. This time, they played for themselves, rather than the audience. Emma and Dragos shared eye contact and laughs as they played, the audience drinking in every moment.
As the four took a bow and invited people to the back to “get rid of merchandise,” it felt as if the show was more of a whisper hello than anything. But, for a group like Men I Trust, that is precisely what they intended.
-Allie Antonevich