Quebec based Men I Trust have a distinct knack for creating lush, ethereal and dreamlike pop songs that seem to throw themselves deep into the inner depths of your soul and strike every pleasant chord on the way down. Having released four albums (completely independently), the group have honed their own unique blend of dreamline indie pop on records like Oncle Jazz (2019), Headroom (2015) and their most recent Untourable Album (2021). Now, for the third time, I was on my way to see them perform – but this time over 3,000 miles away from my home in Brooklyn, New York.

Tucked away in what seems like a back alley of Dublin sits Vicar Street, an intimate venue in the heart of the city teeming with charm. On this particular dewey Thursday evening, Men I Trust were preparing to play night two of their biggest Irish shows to date. Having spent the past 3 days driving through the entirety of Ireland, I parked my rental car somewhere nearby and sprinted down Dublin’s Thomas Street. Vicar Street was packed wall-to-wall with fans, and as the lights dimmed and the stage was obscured into a cloud of smoke, a noticeable buzz was floating throughout the crowd as the group took to the hazy stage. Immediately, they kicked into a medley of tracks from the Untourable Album and Oncle Jazz (with some new ones sprinkled in for good measure). Not unlike the countryside I spent the past three days driving through, Men I Trust embodied a certain ease and sweetness to their performance. Sure, there are songs you can outright dance to, but most of the crowd in Vicar Street simply swayed as one for most of the set. What’s so magical about Men I Trust is that their live performances completely envelop you and invite you into their world – and this special performance in the heart of Dublin was no different.

Words and photo By Conor Rooney

Purchase tickets for Men I Trust HERE