Menos El Oso - Minus The Bear

Minus the bear are another band formed by members of other groups, in a sound experiment and, as some of the song titles give away, a lyrical exploration too.

The sound is full, contented, and very satisfying, with low basslines and high guitar parts, coupled with sometimes spoken sometimes sung vocals. The vocal melodies are evolved from and certainly revolve around the twisting and turning guitar riffs, and while they may not fit ...
...with vocal gusto, really makes them stick inyour mind.

The opening track "The Game Needed Me" is a weaker one, seeming to fall short of the mark of the quirkiness the band can normally present. Lines seem of time, and the thumping yet slow bassline is disconcerting, as is the strange guitar chords and effects. None the less, there are still appealing elements of it, such as the superb lyrics. On "Drilling" and "The ... more

Minus the bear are another band formed by members of other groups, in a sound experiment and, as some of the song titles give away, a lyrical exploration too.

The sound is full, contented, and very satisfying, with low basslines and high guitar parts, coupled with sometimes spoken sometimes sung vocals. The vocal melodies are evolved from and certainly revolve around the twisting and turning guitar riffs, and while they may not fit the definition of cathy, the emphasis given to some lines/words, with vocal gusto, really makes them stick inyour mind.

The opening track "The Game Needed Me" is a weaker one, seeming to fall short of the mark of the quirkiness the band can normally present. Lines seem of time, and the thumping yet slow bassline is disconcerting, as is the strange guitar chords and effects. None the less, there are still appealing elements of it, such as the superb lyrics. On "Drilling" and "The Fix", the guitar parts are most noticable in their winding and weaving, as they almost duel with the vocals for top spot. These two tracks give off an amazing atmoshphere. I can just imagine them played at a relaxed party on the beach, as the sun is beginning to set. They really are good.

"El Torrente" is a slower paced track which is not as exciting nor as atmospheric, but still manages to be beautiful in its own way. A very chilled out tune. "Pachuca Sunruse" and "Michio's Death Drive" are much livelier songs, with rousing choruses and racibf verses that spin you through the tracks like a whirlwind.

Thses are just a few of the tracks i have picked out, and others on the album such as "Hooray" and "Fulfill the Dream" are also great songs.

This album is overall a solid performance, with some really shining examples of how to write bright, catchy, danceable songs perfectly. However, there are some weaker tracks in which it is hard to work out what the band were aiming for. Some are slower, but lose all their excitment, and others just miss the mark completely ("Pig War"). If you are interested in this band, with their stunning guitar work and melodical beauty, I would check out another album of theirs "Highly Refined pirates", which displays their talent in a greater respect than this.

Tracklisting:

1. Game Needed Me
2. Memphis And 53rd
3. Drilling
4. Fix
5. El Torrente
6. Pachuca Sunrise
7. Michio's Death Drive
8. Hooray
9. Fulfill The Dream
10. Pig War
11. This Ain't A Surfin' Movie 

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