Men I Trust: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music's Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It's the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.

Bobby Carter | June 16, 2021
From a rustic and retro-looking cabin on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, the band Men I Trust seized the essence of the Tiny Desk almost to a tee. The controlled, yet layered four-song set, bookended by tracks from 2019's Oncle Jazz would almost certainly make for a plug-and-play situation had it been behind Bob Boilen's desk.

Men I Trust was initially the duo of high school friends Dragos Chiriac and Jessy Caron, before adding vocalist Emma Proulx in 2015 and recording the group's debut album, Headroom. (They expanded to a quintet for this performance, with Cedric Martel handling bass and Eric Maillet on drums.) The song "Humming Man," performed here, was its first official single as a trio and they never looked back from there. The band's style sways between rubbery upbeat electro-pop and the muddy pace evident on last year's "Lucky Sue," but generally hits that sweet spot for anybody looking to be cradled and carried by a vibe-y groove. The overdubs and reverb on Emma's vocals are stripped away here, leaving a deceptively endearing quality to her voice. The band told NPR that this set was one of its first times playing together after a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 lockdown. "We reunited at the cabin, jammed and recorded our session," the members said via email. "We strived to capture the intimacy and coziness on sound and image. We hope you'll enjoy it!"

SET LIST
"Show Me How"
"Lucky Sue"
"Humming Man"
"All Night"

MUSICIANS
Emma Proulx: vocals, guitar
Jessy Caron: guitar
Dragos Chiriac: keyboard
Cedric Martel: bass
Eric Maillet: drums

CREDITS
Video and Audio: Men I Trust

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Video Producer: Maia Stern
Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
Tiny Production Team: Bob Boilen, Kara Frame, Gabrielle Pierre
Executive Producer: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#nprmusic #tinydesk #menitrust

[walkhardwalk]

Men I Trust: 60% pure talent, 40% bad posture

[jeremystig]

Nobody understands how difficult it is to play drums this gentle

[anniej.]

guitars that sound like “wawawow” are the best kind of guitars

[tobesv]

they look exactly like the music they play

[Vanile.]

How come men I trust music fits for every season? In the spring it feels like the relief and clarity that comes with the first blue sky after months of congested gray. In the summer it feels like a slow relaxing day in the shade. In the fall it feels like the cool sunset after the burning heat of summer. And in the winter it feels like slowly falling asleep in a warm fluffy bed. how can a select few songs convey such different feelings?

[blenjamin]

Men I Trust and Tiny Desk? Match made in heaven

[vitorpinheiro]

Now that we got this masterpiece all we need next is The Marías to present a Tiny Desk Concert

[unfinishedproductions]

They play so softly I bet the neighbors come over and yell "Turn it up!"

[leomerckle]

I think i can be true friends with anyone who loves this group

[aashanap]

Men I Trust always makes me feel so comfortable. Musicians I Trust.

[Steffschenko]

The bass slaps, especially in the first song

[epalheta]

Every time I hear "Men I Trust" I get the feeling I can die in peace. Even though things aren't okay, it's like they're going to be okay in the end.

[Jamroy]

Serious props to whoever did the audio engineering on this - sounds so crisp, really adds to the performance for me

[juleshermida]

I never thought I'd see Ron Swanson playing keyboards with Walter White at the guitar. Best crossover ever. Surely, I would trust those men.

[dr.feather]

I have been following them for quite some time now and I cannot express how happy I am to see them play my favourite songs on Tiny Desk!

[soul-]

Men i trust have one of the best bass sounds in this generation omg im in love with it❤❤

[kurtemonster]

Can you imagine how sublime it must be to hear Men I Trust & Khraungbin as a single concert?!?

[PentameronSV]

0:00 - *Show Me How* (3:33)
3:38 - *Lucky Sue*
6:43 - *Humming Man*
10:06 - *All Night* (14:28)
[14:34 - Tiny Desk team]

[charlesc]

The band that basically helped me keep sane this past few pandemic years. So glad to see them here!

[talorbarihun]

Every time I watch them performing they make me change my posture instantly