Manwolves - “Char <3”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 7

Pairs Well With…Cautious Clay, Kamasi Washington, BADBADNOTGOOD

A fusion of jazz, hip hop, and experimental rock, Manwolves music sounds wholly unique on their latest EP Slipping on Ice Moving Boxes, eschewing pop songwriting for psych-pop ideations with DIY intentions. It’s a weird, personable sound that they create, one based in synth-pop, but deconstructed with loose imagination. While purposefully open, Manwolves don’t lose the plot within their explorations, rather they merge into a chillwave, minimal rock space and let the jazz-influenced percussion and melodies really stand out against a smeared-away background. Nine years since their debut single “You”, Manwolves have successfully evolved to be experimental and somehow still accessible. To get a full grasp of Manwolves’ ability, check out 2021 live record Sleeping In for some of the cleanest, most connecting interpretations of their songwriting, a postmark of their past as the band continues to stretch into the future. (Kevin McStravick)