Man Alive!

Heart, Hands, and Mind (Universal Warning)
by Scott Hefflon

Denver’s Man Alive! have played with Leftöver Crack, and that makes a lot of sense. Man, what a shredded-throat voice this guy has! The styles here are kinda all over the map, and the playing is pretty loose, but when they hit a groove, they dig in deep and make it work. Their best moments are when they rip, tear and smash with wild abandon, making the chaos work for them, and when they break it down, it’s almost scary, like when the guy from At The Drive-In sounds like he’s tearing his skin off, howling in anguish. Nice. But they don’t do that often, and that’s probably a good thing for their mental health. I kinda wish they’d steer clear of the ska upstroke guitar thing, but, like Leftöver Crack, they can get away with it cuz That Voice sounds like it’s gargling broken glass. If this three-piece could hone in on what they do best (and tell the drummer to keep it simple), their mayhem might really take them somewhere. Some hard touring should show ’em where the crowds go nuts and encourage them in that direction naturally anyway.
(733 Lake Drive Douglassville, PA 19518)