Men I Trust’s ‘Equus Asinus’: Sounds of the casual melancholy

Soft pop dream rock pioneers Men I Trust’s Equus Asinus is the soundtrack of effortless mystery and casual intensity. Surprisingly, the band titled their album after the humble donkey; unsurprisingly, the band have made this undesirable animal a symbol of contemporary cool.

The album represents half of what the band has to offer this year, as we are still waiting open-palmed for yet another Men I Trust blessing. It will be exciting to see if Equus Caballus, meaning horse, will work intertwined with the current album or stand alone.

Equus Asinus, released 19th March 2025, reflects all that Men I Trust stand for: mesmerising lyrics that seamlessly collide with warm instruments. While tracks like ‘Bethlehem’ maintain the prominent baselines found in previous work, in the majority of the album they have been replaced by more acoustic sounds. The opening track ‘I Come With Mud’ displays just that. Through prioritising the acoustic guitar, this track introduces a folk aesthetic not yet seen from the band. Its gentle plodding pace is reminiscent of apricity and lazy, hazy days grazing in the field. 

In many ways this album is reflective, creating images of driving through the countryside reminiscing on past times

Continuing with the initial track ‘I Come With Mud’, the long stretches of instrumental found in this piece become typical of the album. The instrumental section in each song seems to be characterised differently. The sixth track ‘Landkeeper’ uses piano and synth to create a haunting sound that makes you feel trapped behind a cold glass window while ‘I Don’t Like Music’ uses acoustic guitar and subtle bass to conjure a Mediterranean summer and the sounds of long grass.

In tracks such as ‘Girl’ and ‘Burrow’ and parts of ‘Paul’s theme’ the minor key builds an unsettling tone that festers under the surface of the music. This embodies the contrast between casual and intense, nostalgic and melancholy, poised and grotty seen throughout the album. Even the front cover of the album looks seedy and sweaty but manages to be effortlessly chic. The aforementioned contrasts are extremely relatable for Men I Trust’s audience. In times when social media has popularised self-brand aesthetic such as the ‘clean girl’ or its antithesis, the ‘messy girl’, it may feel comforting to be presented with an album that ignores the polarisation of the two trends.

Men I Trust will forever be an ode to the pandemic, with the Untourable Album being released in 2021, their sound underpinned that era. The slower paced and melancholy yet nonchalant tone of Equus Asinus adds another layer of nostalgia to the band’s trademark. In many ways this album is reflective, creating images of driving through the countryside reminiscing on past times.

Equus Asinus is an example of Men I Trust’s ability to effortlessly blend opposing aesthetics and turn the unfashionable into the fashionable.

Men I Trust and their listeners are growing alongside one another. Prior to, throughout and following lockdown, the band somehow matched the popular aesthetics of that era. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were the one to introduce what is popular. In a couple of months donkeys will be all the rage.

Emmanuelle Proulx, the band’s vocalist, captures a trance-like candace. Proulx’s indecipherable lyrics are seen in the likes of Cocteau Twin’s Elizabeth Fraser. One of the many reasons why fans flock to the music of the Cocteau Twins so ardently is that one can make up their own words to the songs. The listener’s sense of self can be projected onto the words, creating an almost personalised song. This can be applied to the lyrics of Equus Asinus. It feels clairvoyant. One hears what they want to hear amidst the soft luring words.

Equus Asinus is an example of Men I Trust’s ability to effortlessly blend opposing aesthetics and turn the unfashionable into the fashionable. The album is rooted in warm nostalgia and captures the relationship so many have with the band. While their tone has moved away  from bouncy baselines of the past, their new folk sound is relaxing yet riveting. We are left to wonder what the next album will bring? How will the humble donkey fare against the majestic horse?

Recommended Listening: ‘I Come With Mud’, ‘Landkeeper’ & ‘I Don’t Like Music’

★★★★

Listen to Equus Asinus here: