Man Called Noon’s Album Broke and Beaten Down is utterly fantastic! With astonishing guitar driven tracks and heavily hook-laden melodies, this is an album not to miss and a band not to forget.
The Band:
Man Called Noon is Tony Giamichael (Rhythm Guitar/Lead Vocals), Mike Burns (Bass/Drums), Brian Sonnek (Lead Guitar/Harmonies), Zach Finch (Live Drums) and Katie Dingle (Cello/Harmonies). Together they make a sound that can only be described as the combination of all my favorite bands. It seems like every time I listen to Broke and Beaten Down the band reminds me of another one of my favorites.
The guitar rifts alone are mind-blowing. It’s The Who mixed with The Foo Fighters, Audioslave and Weezer. Fantastic!
Vocally, Man Called Noon is reminds me at times of Blink-182 and some of The White Stripes latest work. It’s gritty, catchy and fits the band’s style perfectly.
The Tracks:
Burn And Grow – Off the bat I picked up a 90’s alt rock vibe with this track. It has great hooks and awesome guitar rifts. Overall it a great introduction to Man Called Noon but the tracks ahead keep getting better and better.
Dance Off – While this song sounds like it’s influenced by Nirvana (especially the rhythm), something about it has a British rock quality. It just has a rawness that makes it sound real. I’m willing to bet this song sounds awesome live.
Living My Obsession – For me, this is the first potential single off of Broke and Beaten Down. It’s just an awesome pop/rock song.
Saturday – This is my favorite track off of Broke and Beaten Down. It absolutely has to be the main single off this album. With this track Man Called Noon blends Oasis’s slick pop oriented hooks and Red Hot Chili Poppers’ untamed rock style.
Dying For My Passion – This song chances up the tone of the album. Put simply, it’s acoustic goodness. With Dave Matthews-like vibes, this track is easily one of my favorites. Not only does it show off the versatility of Man Called Noon, but it also teases how amazing it would be if they released an all-acoustic album.
Cotton – With chunky guitar rifts and a Weezer-like melody, this is another just plain awesome track.
Broken Man – This track is acoustic goodness yet again, but this time with a bit more grit. I love the pop/rock style of Man Called Noon, but man can they cover folk/rock.
The Lonesome Gods – Dark Vibes. Very cool.
Another Ghost… – The last official track off of Broke and Beaten Down is a light-hearted pop/folk track. Keep listening once it ends because there is a fantastic bonus track at the end.
The Verdict:
Man Called Noon is an amazingly versatile band that covers rock, pop, folk and everything in between. They may sound like all my favorite bands, but they are definitely original. If you’re looking for an album that has a bit of everything, then definitely check out Broke and Beaten Down!
Review by Zack Daggy
