One thing that blues and country artists have long had in common is an ability to laugh at life's challenges and disappointments; Hank Williams and Muddy Waters didn't hesitate to tell you how disappointing life could be, but they knew how to do it in a very humorous fashion. The same thing can... [+] Expand

One thing that blues and country artists have long had in common is an ability to laugh at life's challenges and disappointments; Hank Williams and Muddy Waters didn't hesitate to tell you how disappointing life could be, but they knew how to do it in a very humorous fashion. The same thing can be said about Men Without Hope, a New York-based pop/rock trio that is led by singer/composer/guitarist Ethan Fein. On the group's quirky, goofy debut album, The Sub-Basement Tapes, he finds a lot to complain about: women he meets in bars ("Workingman's Lament"), relationships that don't work out ("That's All Right"), mentally ill people who annoy him on the streets of New York ("They Always Talk to Me"), and growing older in a youth-obsessed country ("I'm Bald"). Aging, in fact, is a recurring theme on this CD; while others go out of their way to hide their age, Fein is quick to address the fact that he has long since lost his hair and isn't a young guy anymore. But as much complaining as he does -- as much self-deprecating humor as he throws listeners' way -- Fein never comes across as a whiner. The native New Yorker finds humor in all of the things he complains about, and The Sub-Basement Tapes ends up being funny and entertaining instead of self-pitying or maudlin. Musically, the CD is fairly diverse. Although The Sub-Basement Tapes is primarily a pop/rock/rock & roll effort, Men Without Hope obviously aren't rock snobs. Many of their songs are blues influenced, and the trio also incorporates everything from jazz and reggae to Brazilian music. While not every song on The Sub-Basement Tapes is perfect, this CD is impressive more often than not and certainly gets credit for originality. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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