Album Review: Broadcast – Noman
Noman first caught our eye while doing Blowout research based on the strength of their MySpace songs, and the rest of their debut Broadcast doesn’t disappoint. Recorded with Steve Albini, the album has an explosive, acoustic-punk sound, calling to mind equal parts Fugazi and Bright Eyes. Noman’s debt to Ian McKaye is apparent in throaty lyrics like, “wanna breathe smoke but not from a cigarette in my mouth/ want these lungs to be strong, they can make shotgun sounds”. But the band augment this template with plenty of their own experiences: there’s references to being broke in a house in the Woodbridge neighborhood, spreading ashes on Belle Isle, assuming the thoughts of a homeless man on Trumbull and I-94. The record is steeped in the melancholy that comes with living with Rustbelt decay, but also anthemic: the band never relents with its passionate delivery, which ultimately makes Noman’s disc fun and destined to be sung along to in punk dives.
Featured Track:
“For The Rock Gods”
Noman kick off a tour with I, Crime at the Lager House on April 15th, 2009.
