Canadian dream-pop trio Men I Trust released “Equus Asinus” on March 19, their first of two albums to be released in 2025 with their second project, “Equus Caballus,” slated to release later this year.
With their first LP in nearly four years, Emmanuelle Proulx, Jessy Caron and Dragos Chiriac’s return to music is a much slower and tender experience than their previous work. Compared to their other projects such as the upbeat and pulpy “Oncle Jazz” or the laid-back groove of the “Untourable Album,” “Equus Asinus” is a departure from what made the group indie icons.
In place of catchy verses and fun guitar riffs, there is a much more acoustic and patient feeling throughout this project.
The album’s opening ballad, “I Come With Mud,” sets the tone for the next 13 tracks with a plucky but peaceful melody accompanying Proulx’s whispery vocals. This rootsy and intimate mood continues through the next two tracks until the album thematically opens up with the song “Frostbite.”
The aptly titled track features a cold and bitter atmosphere with a chilling performance by Proulx. The poetic lyrical content spells out the thematic elements of the entire project like, “Trapped in the claws of the bear, and I wonder, will all things be empty again?”
This theme of reminiscence is persistent throughout the tracklist, as every song seems to have been written in longing for a past that has gone. Even the album cover reflects this theme, showing an odd scene that looks to be captured right out of an old family photo album or a childhood memory.
Near the halfway point of the project, the first fully instrumental track “Paul’s Theme” serves as the climactic peak of the album. Sporting a beautiful symphony of familiar sounds, this track is the most uplifting and infectious section of “Equus Asinus.”
But the musical high built off of “Paul’s Theme” is deconstructed by the subsequent track “Girl,” a single that was originally released in 2022. The incessant ticking during the track reinforces the project’s messaging of time and acts as a slower regression back to the album’s lethargic sound.
The final five tracks of the album continue this acoustic evolution but are far less memorable than the first half of the songs. But the closing two instrumental tracks act as a nice and tranquil lull to end the experience.
Despite a blurred final stretch, “Equus Asinus” is a wonderful project that shows the musical growth of Men I Trust in their four-year absence.
Fans new and old can appreciate the group’s attempt at a different sound, which makes the album’s upcoming sister project, “Equus Caballus,” a much more intriguing prospect.
