Menomena – Mines

I. Love. This. Album. Menomena is back and on their third album they have found their most comfortable sound yet. While having previously explored some darker, wider ranging territory in their albums Mines is more focused and as a result plays well both as a whole and as individual tracks. Their vocals – shared in turn by each of the bands three members- are strong and pure; pulling them to the front of the mix gives them more distinction and imparts a poppier vibe to the entire album. While the vocals are consistently given more presence the incredibly complex instrumentations Menomena is known for still shine from behind. Danny Seim’s percussions are more on point than ever and the refinement only pushes the entire groups sound a little further; they don’t abandon their complicated and varied instrumentations they have just found a much better balance making the songs far more accessible.

“Dirty Cartoons” is a brilliant example of these holistic productions. Without pulling in too many elements, instead allowing the vocals and percussion to build up a natural interplay the weight of the song is found in the negative space, the places where quiet is given a role. Again on “Tithe” – without a doubt my favorite track on Mines – you find a sumptuous relationship between the nuanced instruments involved. Delicate clinking bleeds into a charging piano/guitar force that advances and retreats versus the simple lyrical delivery for the rest of the song. It is so well executed you can’t help but become entranced by the dynamic.

I could go on and on and on about the brilliance of each of the tracks; how the beachboy like harmonies on “TAOS” melt over the chaotic percussion and soak up luscious baritone sax or how the bluesy grit of “BOTE” has a swagger you definitely wouldn’t expect from these Portland fellas, but I’ll let you find out for yourself. Go buy it. Now. Just do it. Okay? They’re on tour now and will be stopping in Philly on October 5th.

[MP3] Wet & Rusting