Out on May 7th is the self titled, debut album from Man On Man (M.O.M.), a collaborative project between Joey Holman (HOLMAN) and Roddy Bottum (Faith No More, Imperial Teen). Prior to the album release, M.O.M. have released the track ‘Stohner’ on, amongst other places, Spotify and YouTube.
Bottum and his boyfriend, Holman create a rich wall of shoegaze crunch and swirl with tiny nuances of Psychedelia sprinkled into the mix. With what manifests as a super slow-tempo disco beat, ‘Stohner’ powers through a pop-hook infused soundscape. Dual lead vocals and harmonies give the song a memorable edge, with both members of this duo on guitar duty.
Bottum hits the listener with his subtlety distinct keyboard style, not dominating, but enhancing and inhabiting within the slam of the guitars and the weaving bounce of bass and drums. ‘Stohner’ is unhurried and at almost seven minutes long with a grinding tempo, paradoxically whizzes past, a testament to the musical and creative prowess of M.O.M. The lyrics are personal, warm, but shared with care by the duo and embroidered into the sound.
The music video see multi-versions of Bottum and Holman sharing guitar, vocal, bass, drums and keyboard duties, whilst a tapestry of humorous images entertain the viewer. ‘Stohner’ is a magnificent, crunchy, emotional, atmospheric and entertaining tune which tantalisingly sets the standard for M.O.M.’s debut as the listener ponders as to what greatness lies in wait within the album.
