Man Man (US)

When Man Man released their previous album, Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between, frontman Honus Honus (born Ryan Kattner) was in a state of agitation, oscillating between hope and cynicism. It’s perhaps ironic that the album came out in the midst of a pandemic. (We could all relate.) But, much like that strange turn of world events, that melancholy now seems distant in the face of Man Man’s creative force, whose sense of renewal and purpose shines through on Carrot on Strings (released June 7 on Sub Pop), their latest album, radiating a blend of calm and confidence.

Kattner has always embodied a sort of mesmerizing flutist: his slightly off-kilter art-rock melodies and compositions were intriguing and tinged with anxiety. His creative presence was so captivating that you couldn’t help but be carried along, even without ever knowing where Man Man would take you. Carrot on Strings is no less inventive, but its spirit is radical within the context of the band’s two-decade-long, unconventional career.