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Music

I, A Man – Gravity Wins Again

Post-hypno ambien-rock band with the bold and somewhat phallic name of I, a Man will surprise you with their dreamlike debut Gravity Wins Again. The album promises to instill the sun’s warmth, while embracing the approaching winter’s cool and refreshing ambiance. It may rain sometimes in this temperamental wintery climate, but your spirits won’t be dampened because you are in safe hands with these guys.

The band consists of Melbournites Dan Moss, Ash Hunter, Sumner Fish, and Simon Rabl. If you want to introduce them to your friends, remeber that the name is pronounced phonetically as aɪ ə ˈmæn, there is no need to pause at the comma.* The boys have mostly performed up and down the east coast, but have also toured Australia several times and supported the UK band Bombay Bicycle Club.

i a man

I, a Man’s debut album, which we previewed last week, is really, really good. Seriously, give it a listen.

I, a Man’s debut album deserves an amount of adoration and devoted listening, with their remarkable ability to craft candid and liberating music with powerful and disruptive electronic/electric instrumentation. Prepare for an emotional roller coaster, as you will be nostalgically transported back to your most uplifting breakthroughs through to your tumultuous episodes of angst.

The opening track Fossils begins with a simple and strong four note synth melody, which carries you on a long, stretch out time warp from the dusty and scarce prehistoric era to the lucrative now. There’s nothing better than the gradual melting together of sounds to create an expansive experience – to witness the bones of a song assemble and grow into a hell of a beast is something perfectly captured in Fossils.

The scattered ripples of guitar, and occasional delicate and smooth falsetto vocals of Minivan create a serendipitous and relaxed aura. For those 4 minutes and 40 seconds, the track floats you gently through time, and it’s best just to go with it. The big sound of Big Ideas allows it to distinguish itself as one of the more harsh and rough tunes. Don’t be fooled by its initial innocent façade – let it surprise you with its grungy and heavy metal guitar solo. We were so happy moments before, what happened? We hope you’re okay.

Bandwidth is more experimental, incorporating literally a little bit of everything, with random instruments appearing out of the blue. It starts off quite stripped back with just the guitar and vocals, but then becomes increasingly busy and chaotic. Despite this cacophony, the track works. I don’t know how, but it just works! Perhaps Bandwidth is actually the most peaceful part of the album.

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Happy premiered the band’s live performance of Lucky a few weeks back. The boys don’t disappoint in a live setting. They recreate the same sound as on the album to a tee, perhaps sounding a little better because you can actually visualise them conjuring up their melodic magic.

I, a Man’s bittersweet tone will keep you company in your quietest and most tranquil hours. Tracks such as In Time and A Small, Good Thing will especially make you feel like you’ve never awoken from your pleasant trance, with it’s constantly propelling rhythms. It’s that feeling of continual regeneration every time you choose to let I, a Man take you on a journey, that leaves you wanting more and feeling incomplete when they aren’t gracing your ears with their effortlessness.

The boys have been busy with their Live from The Alamo series, where they’re inviting fellow musicians to guest perform with them on each track from the album. You can buy their debut album Gravity Wins Again, available through iTunes and preorder a vinyl pressing from Bandcamp, as well as check them out live at one of the dates below:

Thursday 15th May – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney

Saturday 17th May – Sofar Sounds (Secret Location)

Saturday 31st May – The Shadow Electric, Melbourne

Friday 6th June – The Metro, Adelaide

Saturday 21st June – Trainspotters, Brisbane

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*I once had a mate who pronounced Tame Impala as Tahmay Impaalah.

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