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Other Men
Wake Up Swimming
Robcore Records
Full of exploding energy, Other Men concentrates on a single-file lineup of rapid-fire bass lines, simplistic guitar riffs and non-memorable drum fills. Rob Crow's singing is underdeveloped and too complacent for the serious heaviness of the arrangements backing him up. This is an eleven-song album, but it felt more like two, repurposed with slight alterations into a longer format. Other Men do shine, however, when they let go of their dedication to repetition and speed playing, as in "Total Nutcase," and instead loosen up and slow down. Crow sings less, and his vocal timing becomes apparent--less really is more here. Crow's guitar chords are quite melodic and Travis Nelson's bass is perfectly in sync with the feel of the song, rather than trying to outrun it. Manolo Turner is a straightforward drummer, not overly stylish, which is appropriate for this brand of energetic, upbeat and fast skateboard rock. Other Men uses lightning quick and tricky bass lines as the spine to every song, and Nelson is the perfect man for the job, as he is an accomplished bass player. However, the band needs to be a little more musically creative and create a hook in every song to make it unique, rather than using the patented structure of one song over and over again.
—Vanessa Arce
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