It was just about a year ago, around the time of the release of the magnificentally rough "The Men live at the Cavern" EP, that an idea dawned on me: Why don't THE MEN make their next long player an all-out, full throttle, amplifiers cranked up to the proverbial 12, live in the studio album with all new, high-octane material? Granted, their four previous albums have been more or less the recording of blistering live-takes in the studio (and the EP obviously on stage), but this time they would go all the way even further. Having been a hectic year for the band, with great gigs, the release of the live EP and their feature film cinema debut - but also, regretfully, the departure of drummer Niklas - I would have thought the time was ripe for channelling all that built up energy and tension into an explosive disc, as it were. -Thanks, but no thanks, said THE MEN, declaring they wanted to go in the complete opposite direction with this new album. Something cleaner, slower, less loud and dense, more produced and more melodic than their previous work. Unbeknownst to me they had apparently already begun writing the songs, they had in fact also started the recording sessions proper for the album. Well, I felt I had better make a visit to the studio to oversee the proceedings. I must admit I was slightly taken aback to see some of the members actually sitting down during takes, but fair enough, since the group is now temporarily between drummers I expect that's the done thing in such circumstances. The tracks are laid down from scratch so to speak, starting with perhaps only an accoustic guitar and bass, or maybe just a piano. The songs are then gradually built up from there, adding the sounds and flavours subject to requirements for each particular title, allowing them to go their own individual ways. And the boys happily make free use of all the assorted instruments littering the studio, from wooden blocks to nondescript electronic devices. To handle the sticks, they have called in their friend, Mattias Pedersen, a drummer of great repute. Self-indulgent? Yes, certainly! Nevertheless, you will definitely find the heart, soul, energy and voice in these tracks that is distinctively THE MEN! While writing this, a vision of the perfect title and sleeve for this record came to me. You will know the Bauhaus theory, that every colour has a corresponding shape and note, if I remember correctly. Well, imagine the different sounds of this album transposed into various shapes and colours, covering the front! And then, like an optical illusion, if you tilt the sleeve slightly, lettering appears: "THE MEN - Sound Puzzle"! To round things up, I have been requested to write the liner-notes for the album, and I will be more than happy to give it my best try. Until then I remain, Yours sincerely, Gilbert Stevenson