Man, oh, Man Man. Just went for a swim On Oni Pond, the latest album by experimental band Man Man, and, I must say, the water is niiiice.

Now, when I hear that a band is described as experimental, I’m simultaneously curious and skeptical. All worthwhile music has a sense of experimentation… that’s what keeps the music interesting. Otherwise, we’d be hearing the same three chords ‘til judgment day, and nobody wants that.

So, for the Philadelphia-native band Man Man, I didn’t know what to expect. The band is led by Honus Honus, lead singer and keyboardist, and features musicians on an incredibly diverse spectrum of instruments. “Oni Swan,” the album’s introductory track, is played entirely on saxophone. “Head On (Hold Onto Your Heart)” features an ever-important violin section that neatly ties the haunting keyboard, grinding bass, and raunchy vocals together. It’s a sweet song, and the strings provide an additional layer of richness.

Man Man shamelessly bounce from genre to genre on their new album, including the reggae-influenced “King Shiv” and the proto-punk-influenced “Loot My Body,” on which Honus must be channeling the soul of Modest Mouse vocalist Isaac Brock. The following track from On Oni Pond, “Deep Cover,” features a ukulele throughout the entire soulful song. And then, the band drops “Pyramids,” with an infectious synthesizer melody and an instrumental middle section that features a Van Halen-esque guitar solo.

So, let’s recap. Electronic keyboard melodies, hard rock guitar solos, proto-punk vocals, reggae beats, violin accompaniment, and cool jazz saxophone compositions. Yeah, this band is experimental.

The one thing that keeps On Oni Pond together is the groove. Every song is a foot-tapper, a shoulder-shuffler… my attempts at stifling a full-on dance party while riding the subway and listening to On Oni Pond through my earbuds. I can only imagine the energy at a live performance… fortunately the band is opening for Gogol Bordello at Terminal 5 on December 30th and December 31st. Christmas come early… err… late. Whatever. Man Man!

-David Melamed (@DMelamz)