The M’s preview new album

The M’s
Schubas, Chicago
Monday, December 19, 2005

The M’s last night of their Schubas residency will also be the first time you can hear the Chicago band’s sophomore album, Future Women, in its entirety.

Actually, depending on who’s speaking, Future Women could be seen as the foursome’s debut. The M’s (Brilliante), which arrived in early 2004, was an amalgam of three EPs intended for individual release, of which only one ever found freedom. Had they been released separately they would have given the wrong perception to someone who would only pick up one, a guess based on the reaction to the first set, which had every critic throwing the name “T. Rex” at them — more a vocal melody similarity than any real debt to British glam.

The “full-length” introduced both a psychedelic bent via the *Nuggets* bands and the hazy side of Blur. “Dirty Ol’ Dog” is a sinewy ’70s boogie, while “Eyes On The Prize” wafts inconspicuously in the ether of Love or “Across The Universe” Lennon.

What sets Future Women apart immediately — aside from a modest step up to downstate label Polyvinyl — is its pace. “Plan Of The Man” jets out with pre-Ramones bop before exploding into horn blasts, “Shawnee Dupree” returns to three-part harmonies and whiteboy ’60s blues, and “Trucker Speed” might be the most modern song they’ve ever written, crackling with electricity. It adds up to an album confident in its abilities and — despite The M’s fondness for sequencing — one that doesn’t necessarily need to be played in order. But you should hear it that way anyway.

Healthy White Baby and Headlights will open.

— Steve Forstneger

Click here to download The M’s “Banishment Of Love” from their self-titled debut.

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly