Male Bonding 'Endless Now'

When Man Man released its last album, “Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between," frontman Honus Honus (né Ryan Kattner) was in a state of unrest, oscillating between hope and cynicism. Perhaps fittingly, the album ended up dropping during the pandemic. (We could all relate.) But much like that bizarre turn of global events, the ennui seems so distant now to Man Man’s creative force, whose revived sense of purpose washes through Carrot on Strings (out June 07, Sub Pop), his latest release, which radiates a mix of calm and confidence.

Kattner always embodied a wild-man pied-piper vibe: his melodic, art-rock output just unhinged enough that it was at once intriguing and angsty. He was so alluringly creative that you went along with it, even if you were never sure where Man Man would take you. Carrot on Strings is no less inventive, but its ethos is radical in context of the band’s two-decade, idiosyncratic career.

Male Bonding is a noise-pop trio from London’s Dalston neighborhood. Nothing Hurts, the band’s 2010 debut was described by Pitchfork as, “…the sound of a fast, fuzzy rock band racing from hook to hook, plowing happily through breakdowns and guitar blasts, springing through scrappy melodies with style. It’s one of the happiest surprises of the year so far.”

This new Male Bonding album, Endless Now, was recorded at Dreamland Recording Studio in Woodstock, NY, the converted 19th century church that birthed such classics as The B-52s’ “Love Shack” and Dinosaur Jr.’s 1993 full-length Where You Been.

The band worked with producer John Agnello (Kurt Vile, Thurston Moore, Dinosaur Jr.) installed behind the altar and came up with an album animated by an infectious, evangelical zeal that reflects their roots in the D.I.Y. indie rock community.

Eleven tracks—plus a wee reprise—imbued with the fierce urgency of now, and catchy as all get-out, Endless Now is 36 minutes of songs tailor-made to anchor mix tapes and playlists—if you can stand to separate them from the whole album.

Tracklisting:
1. Tame The Sun
2. Carrying
3. Seems to Notice Now
4. Bones
5. Before It's Gone
6. What's That Scene
7. Mysteries Complete
8. Can't Dream
9. The Saddle
10. Channeling Your Fears
11. Dig You Out