Minus The Bear
Acoustics
Suicide Squeeze
By Eavvon O'Neal
Minus the Bear has been riding the wave of math and electronic-infused rock, in the sense that they are the popular version of math nerds. Their time signature changes aren’t brash, or jarring, and they deserve credit for making the basic musicality of math cool. With the release of their all-acoustic EP, entitled supplely Acoustics, they are now out to explore the folksier, organic side of their art.
Jake Snider, who has always sounded like Fall Out Boy’s Bassist, Patrick Stump, with a backbone, deviates from his older work—not through different structures and leanings—but with instrumentation that changes the timbre of every track with pleasing results. It’s the same dance with different outfits.
All of the tracks, with the exception of “Guns & Ammo,” are older songs that have been reworked. The majority of the tracks come from Planet of Ice, which wasn’t remixed like Menos El Oso. The new interpretations are more contemplative with “Pachauca Sunrise” and “We Are Not A Football Team” struggling to totally change or reinvent themselves acoustically.
“Throwing Shapes” is noticeably slower than its original. The vocals are further back in the mix, stuck behind the more glamorous guitar work, which allows the acoustic to resonate more than the words. “Burying Luck” which glitches open like a piece of sheet metal on a turntable from Planet of Ice, opens with piano chords soaked in snuggle fabric softener. This is the same approach taken with “Knights,” showing the albums cohesiveness between tracks; trying to transform electronic elements into an organic expression. “Ice Monster” keeps its identity best, being one of the least complex efforts on Menos El Oso, and therefore translating more easily to a basic drum kit, guitar, bass, and hand clap composition.
Minus The Bear has been on an EP kick of late, testing out new methods of musicianship and proving how timeless an acoustic mindset can be. This offering doesn’t seem too epic in the vast world of indie jams, but may prove to be a turning point for the band.
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