Following the release of their twin albums Equus Asinus and Equus Caballus in 2025, Canadian dream pop band Men I Trust is coming back to the Philippines for their first solo show in Manila on February 1. And if you’re building a pre-show playlist to hype you up, we’ve got five essential songs you definitely need to put on queue.
The band is best known for songs like “Show Me How” and “Numb,” which they performed in their Wanderland set in 2023. In February, witness lead vocalist Emma Proulx, guitarist Jessy Caron, and keyboardist Dragos Chiriac perform new additions to their catalog of dreamy and ethereal tracks. Here are some we want to hear live.
‘I Hope to Be Around’
“I Hope to Be Around” is as dream pop as dream pop gets. Released as a single ahead of 2019’s Oncle Jazz, the track is quintessential Men I Trust: synthetic bass, hushed vocals, and guitars on the chorus pedal softening the band’s edges.
‘Days Go By’
In “Days Go By,” also off Oncle Jazz, Men I Trust shows their ability to balance versatility and cohesion. The track begins in R&B territory with shimmery piano chords and a hushed melody, before wading into a jazzier soundscape with its purely instrumental second half. The guitar almost sounds synthetic and keeps the track lively, even as the rest of the song lulls the listener to REM.
‘Billie Toppy’
“Billie Toppy” is the closest you get to something energetic from Men I Trust. First released in 2022, it features a guitar hook and a bassline that, together with a softened post-punk beat, drive the track into a running speed. For its tempo, “Billie Toppy” is a standout in the band’s discography and a change of pace I’d love to experience live.
‘Ring Of Past’
Men I Trust likes to dip their toes in different genres, and “Ring Of Past” demonstrates their penchant for funk. In this track, Caron’s bass is just nasty — a word you don’t always associate with dream pop, but which suits this scenario, with the bassline plucked and dancing along the fret. Over this and Proulx’s hushed vocals, a lead synth buzzes, making the track all the more entrancing.
‘Tides’
The band has an uncanny ability to transport its most faithful listeners into a different state of consciousness, and “Tides” exemplifies this. It’s fitting that the single cover is an illustration of a UFO drifting over the mountains, because that’s exactly what the track feels like. Slow-paced and seeping with synths and strings, “Tides” is a mood-setter, perfect for winding down.
Men I Trust will be performing at the Filinvest Tent, Muntinlupa on February 1, as part of its “Equus Tour.” Tickets are available at Tickelo.
