Manchester trio Man Made return with their first release of the year: ‘Carsick Cars’ – a brightly melodic track that oozes the classic, choppy indie-rock twang that many bands today appear to have cast aside in favour of a more sultry sound. The song is a noticeable step away from the borderline-hypnotic echoes and crunched distortion of previous releases TV Broke My Brain and All Mine, but as ever continues to utilise the acute resonance of singer and guitarist, Nile Marr’s sleek, serene vocals.
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“Less is more” as the saying goes, and without a doubt, ‘Carsick Cars’ fits the synonymous minimalist mantra to a tee. At a grand total of 2 minutes 38 seconds, the song feels a whole lot more complex than it really is – which warrants a deserving nod towards the skilled instrumentation of the whole band. However, when you listen closely: paying full attention to both the chords and lyrics used throughout, there are merely six individual lyrics, two of which are repeated at the end of their respective verses. Even the solo is only three notes put to a simple tune, yet as a complete package the song flows so well from beginning to end due to this frank, direct approach.
Words by Alex Graham