By Marty Dubecky, Staff Writer

Four years after their last studio album, Indie Pop band Men I Trust released “Equus Asinius,” a sweeping, bucolic and divisive record.

The album, with 14 songs and a runtime of 44 minutes, was released on March 19. The album sounds different than Men I Trust has in the past, but the sound is still instantly recognizable. Men I Trust creates an atmosphere with their songs and an entire world with their albums. “Equus Asinus” still has the drone and jazz elements their previous albums had, but takes a unique, acoustic and folksy approach. 

The first track, “I Come With Mud,” aptly hits the listener like a torrent of mud. It starts with a thick sound, crescendoing into a sudden clarity. The drums are crisp in this track; the bass can be heard clearly, but is never overpowering. The vocals are as haunting and charming as ever. The first track might be one of the best of the album, and exemplifies the great sounds that make “Equus Asinus” so good. 

The album’s title, which is Latin for a common donkey, harkens to the Canadian countryside Men I Trust hails from. The album takes their typical deep and simple grooves and introduces folk elements. With songs that feature acoustic instruments and stylings of Americana and classic Greek and French folk styles, Men I Trust combines a cutting edge sound that invokes nostalgia and melancholy. 

The album is mixed and mastered perfectly.  It can feel muddy and dense, but each instrument can be heard individually. The drums are sometimes clean and jazzy, sometimes crunchy and muted. The bass drives almost every track, often taking up the mantle of the bass drum as well. The band’s lead vocalist, Emma Proulx, sings sweet and hauntingly. Her voice is joined by fellow band members Jesse Caron and Dragos Chiriac, whose deep voices play off Proulx’s whisper beautifully. 

The album came after the September release of the single “Husk.” This single has a similar sound to Men I Trust’s edgier and more prominent sound in the album “Untourable.” However, “Husk” was not included in “Equus Asinus.” Instead, it is speculated that Men I Trust’s next release “Equus Caballus” will include the single and edgier sound. The new album did not go in the sonic direction the band seemed to be going. Instead of new-wave sounding singles like “Billie Toppy” or “Untourable,” “Equus Asinus” took a bold turn towards the pastoral. 

Tracks like “Paul’s Theme,” “Girl,” and “Unlike Anything” show off the band’s skill to be delicate, whimsical and experimental with form and style. Each song is still brooding and trancelike. Tracks like these, and the steady grooves of the rest of the album, show that Men I Trust is not interested in sticking to the same song formula, but have still crafted a unique enough sound to be recognized through each track. 

Men I Trust are among the many bands today who are rehashing older sounds. Shoegaze and new wave-sounding bands are in every indie circle. There is something different about Men I Trust, though, and “Equus Asinus” helps show it. Their influences can be heard, but it is undeniable that they are able to create something fresh each time.