Man Like Me were formed in 2005 by lead vocalist and songwriter Johnny Langer. It was in 1997 at the back of History lessons at school that Johnny met Peter Duffy and later Trombone Jerome was discovered whilst working the cruise ships in the Atlantic.

Over the past three years, Man Like Me has built a strong and loyal fan base through extensive gigging, TV and Radio appearances and with the release of their singles.

Their debut album which is self titled, Man Like Me, contains already released singles such as 'Oh My Gosh', 'Carny', 'Single Dad' and their latest single to date, 'London Town'.

This album has a playful note about it. It mixes music genres such as rave, dance, ska and hip hop and also a couple of tracks have that exotic calypso feel about them, brightening up your day a little more.

My favourite tracks on this album are 'London Town' and 'Carny'. Both very different, 'London Town' is a great dance tune with a good beat and memorable melody whereas 'Carny' has more of an exotic carnival feel to it. Lyrics in both tracks, as with all of MLM's lyrics, are about everyday life in London and the UK.

Track 10 'Fruit' has an upbeat tempo which gets your foot tapping alongside lyrics such as "When it comes to plums, they remind me of your mum's, too many will give you the runs..." Although decidedly bizarre, these lyrics certainly put a smile on your face.

Many of the tracks on this album have a playful feel to them, I get the distinct feeling that while taking their music seriously, these guys want to have fun with it too and enjoy what they are doing. It certainly shows in tracks such as 'Booze' and 'Single Dad' whilst keeping a playful and light feel to the tracks the messages used in the lyrics are quite serious and topical.

What makes MLM different from other bands is the ecliptic genre's used throughout the album. Mixed together with rave, dance, ska and hip hop MLM put their own stamp on their music. I love the synth, calypso drum beats and brass infusions used to give individuality to each track.

This is a band with a difference and it's good to be able to hear a youthful British sound rather than that of the American influenced style coming through in their music.

7

Helena Rea