Men I Trust – Equus Asinus

Men I Trust is one of those local Montreal bands that is somewhat of an anomaly, existing in a modern vacuum between super fans and people who have never heard their soft, indie dream jazz before. They’re playing the main stage at Montreal Jazz Fest this July, so perhaps they’ll explode more than they already have. Still, here is a band that has done everything independently and on their terms since day one, allowing them to quit their day jobs in 2018 and make music full-time. From that, we got the fabulous Oncle Jazz and The Untourable Album, all cemented by the hazy honey lyrics of lead vocalist/ guitarist Emma Proulx, bassist/guitarist Jessy Caron, and keyboardist Dragos Chiriac, and now we have Equus Asinus, one of two new albums slated for 2025.

The first track “I Come With Mud” is somewhat of a curveball, with a twangy country vibe outfitted with a smooth slide guitar riff, not a first for Men I Trust, but the whole track feels new for their sound. And then Emma’s vocals come in and it becomes a Men I Trust standard, making you nostalgic for a time you have not yet lived. I gotta mention the Nashville-lead guitar style solo in the outro. Cherry on the cake.

Tracks like “All My Candles” and “Bethlehem” are more of the classic Men I Trust sound–gentle stories mixed with chill vibey music. The keys/synth sometimes take the lead or a finger-picked acoustic guitar as Emma leads you into the peaks and valleys of normal life, sounding like a long-lost friend on a phone call you’ve heard a thousand times. Songs like “The Landkeeper,” rest the heart rate, it’s a song that finds healing purity in its simplicity, and the playful keyboard lead is so tight.

The aspect I love about Men I Trust is that they are never flashy. Songs never overstay their welcome, and the jams between the band are never lost in the sauce. You’re always wanting more, and with a 14-song album like Equus Asinus, you get it. “Girl (2025),” has a Serge Gainsbourg energy, with Jessy dueting with Emma

then switching to French after some James Bond-esque synthwork.

Equus Asinus doesn’t stray too far from the vibes we heard on Oncle Jazz or Untourable Album, and honestly, it doesn’t need to. If this were any other band, I might be bored, but Men I Trust really do no wrongs.