The indie band Men I Trust released “Equus Asinus” — the first of two announced equine-inspired albums — on March 19. Though the album uses the scientific name of the donkey for its title, Men I Trust make little reference to the animal; instead, they crafted an album ripe with dreamy melodies, alluring lyrics and ethereal chords.
Men I Trust continue to explore multiple genres in their new album, from jazz to dream pop, but they have taken a more somber and slow turn since their most recent 2024 single “Husk.” Band members Emma Proulx, Jessy Caron and Dragos Chiriac embrace the nostalgic undertones of their music, channeled through wistfully dreamy vocals from Proulx and an equally intimate album cover featuring a middle-aged couple in their bedroom.
Captured by photographer Donna Ferrato, the album cover features the couple in their most private, yet mundane, moments. The man — half-nude — irons his clothes, and the woman’s hunched and half-turned body has her face cast down as the two have a conversation. The photo’s hazy atmosphere encapsulates what a Men I Trust song feels like: warm and nostalgic, yet tinged with melancholy.
The album opens with “I Come With Mud,” which begins as a diverse arrangement of wobbling electric guitar chords. As the song progresses, the eclectic strings steady and are joined by Proulx’s lulling voice. Proulx’s lyrics are short and hard to piece together, with lines such as “yellow bogs,” “long gone brains” and “stepped off the shoe blade.” Though the words may be unclear, they craft a foggy image of just what the title describes: thick, discolored bogs sapped with mud, caking shoes on a stagnant, yet peaceful, afternoon.
Men I Trust’s ability to craft a story from seemingly fragmented lyrical images is all a part of their charm. The third song of “Equus Asinus,” “Bethlehem,” does just that. The song takes a darker turn from “I Come With Mud,” having a more prominent, yet simple, bass line. The bass is an instrument that many Men I Trust fans have come to associate with the band, seen in such songs as their 2016 single “Lauren” or their 2023 single “Rings of Past.”
“Bethlehem” draws upon religious imagery, describing a “supernal might,” and a Bethlehem free of “mankind’s scourge” with “every grace / in one place.” The song’s simple rhyming scheme is demarcated by four-syllable lines, and each syllable is matched with a simple staccato chord progression behind the vocals. The piercing combination of voice and chord underscores the almost Hemingway-esque brevity of Men I Trust’s lyrics.
The group continues to use biblical references throughout the album, including in the contrasting songs of “Heavenly Flow” — which describes life in a peaceful heaven — and “Burrow” and “I Don’t Like Music” — two songs that describe life from either Earth or hell.
“Heavenly Flow” describes the bliss of heaven, washing away “The earthly burn below.” Men I Trust’s lyrics draw upon an image of a carefree heaven, one with “Shed dry leaves” and “Old psalms and dreams” that put the singer “at ease” among “hooded eves.” The inviting tone of the guitar and keyboard sets listeners at ease as well, letting them relax with Proulx’s warm voice.
In direct contrast to “Heavenly Flow,” “Burrow” draws upon images of birth, humanity and a place “Down here / Low.” The song instead describes the “Hosts of men that dwell on earth,” a direct reference to the Bible, describing mankind as “Pious like a thief.” The physical image of a “Burrow,” with its references to roots and bedrock, reminds listeners of the earthly theme Men I Trust have built throughout the album, such as in the songs “I Come With Mud” and “The Landkeeper.”
The album features a few songs with French lyrics as well, representing the unique Canadian identities of members of Men I Trust. “Girl (2025)” — a rerelease of the group’s 2022 song of the same title — incorporates both English and French lyrics sung by all members of the group. Caron and Chiriac’s deep, drawling voices, backed by tense, straining strings, create a sense of Bond-esque unease while the group sings of a bird-like girl set free.
The album ends with a warming jazz piece titled “What Matters Most.” Breaking free from the haunting mystique of songs like “Bethlehem” and “Girl (2025),” “What Matters Most” is similar to lo-fi music with its hazy, degraded audio quality, simple bass, light brushes and smooth keyboard. The song provides a resolution, as if the tension built throughout the album is already long gone; a piece of nostalgia from the past.
Men I Trust plan to release another full-length album titled “Equus Caballus” following “Equus Asinus,” and describe it as “a collection of songs with distinct energies yet equally meaningful.”
Corinna Chin is an Arts & Entertainment Assistant Editor. She can be reached at corinnac@uci.edu.
Edited by Lillian Dunn and Logan Heine