Johnny Manchild And The Poor Bastards Issue Latest Album ‘We Did Not Ask for This Room’
Alternative Rock and Jazz ensemble, Johnny Manchild and The Poor Bastards are an eclectic multi-genre group. The band was founded by Johnny Manchild (composition, production, vocals, keys), and forming members Ethan Neel (drums), Ben Wood (trumpet), and James Thompson (bass). The current seven-person line-up introduces frantic yet well-coordinated mixtures of ska, alt-rock, jazz, and funk that amalgamate to their unique trademark sound.
With Johnny Manchild’s newest record, We Did Not Ask for This Room, there is no lack of their sonic signature sound. Tracks such as “The Clock”, “Dose”, and “Patient” bring out their grungelike sound, with heavy guitar distortion and forceful vocals, all while keeping the layered orchestration Johnny and the group do expertly. In contrast, other songs such as “We”, “Overboard”, and “Stars” highlight jazz and world fusion throughout the verses and choruses. Johnny Manchild and The Poor Bastards do what they do best, enthusiastically chant their trademark sound like a marching band in a parade, creating a downright fun and captivating listening experience.
Additionally, the album We Did Not Ask for This Room was a successfully crowd-funded album recorded at Sonic Ranch, the world's largest residential recording studio complex. Songs within the album such as "Dose", "We", "Mythologue", and "Resolve" had been previously released as demos, and have been remade for the new album. Most notably, the track "We" incorporates sharp and upfront trumpet melodies that were missing from the original demo.
