Menos El Oso

First things first - if you don't get the mood of this album by the midway point of the opening track, then alas, this ain't for you. The Game Needed Me is Minus The Bear to a tee - complicated instrumentation made to sound so beautifully simplistic that it leaves you in awe of the achievement. A repetitive guitar and bass loop bounces over a rhythm section that sounds like Amon Tobin. Imagine a more eclectic chilled out Helmet, or a drum n bass Fugazi and you're getting close. It just sounds so fresh and modern. Drilling unwinds along an evolving guitar line that grows to a rousing conclusion, whereas The Fix and The Pig War sound like Cake but less alt-country and more 31 Knots with Dan The Automator. The only deterrent may be Jake Sniders' voice - something I'm actually quite fond of - which comes across as a more laid back John McCrea. To me it's smooth and echoes the melody of each track. For some it seems lazy and more make-do-without-a-singer than intentional. Nevertheless, the promise Minus The Bear have shown on previous EPs has finally borne fruit.

I have been listening to this album for three years solid and it never ceases to thrill me with its intricacy, warmth and overall tightness as an album.So often albums have a tendency to feel incoherent and therefore lack a cogent collective identity as a group of songs. Menos el Oso displays an attention to detail that gives the album a distinct feel throughout without becoming repetitive.The album also offers the perfect balance between technicality and accessible melody, from the beautiful and poppy 'Pachuca Sunrise' to the delicate and muscular 'Fulfill the Dream'. I feel the unique combination of complex instrumentation and dry vocal tone the band possesses is best depicted on this album compared to the somewhat washy (in my opinion) 2002 album 'Highly Refined Pirates' and rather too epic (again, in my opinion) 2007 album 'Planet of Ice'.As is often the case with Minus The Bear, the ocean never feels far from both the lyrics and feel of the instrumentation. As a fellow neighbour of the shoreline I cannot recommend this album enough.If you live by the sea, have adequate access to the sun and your not an idiot than this album is for you.

This being their second album proper, Minus The Bear is finally being expected to have fulfilled some of the promise and potential that was claimed about them on release of their debut 2001 EP, This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic. Up ‘til now they had garnered a reputation as a rather riveting jazz-punk, prog-dance combo that comes equipped with imaginative virtue with their instruments and song titles alike. Menos El Oso should be the record to show their purpose.The weathered Seattle quintet still manages to interlace all those classic alternative rock staples of yesteryear and beyond with dallying prog, abstract punk and instant art-rock all coming through the play. While previously the music often took a backseat to Jake Snider’s overbearing choruses, this is clearly not the case any more as his bandmates have seemingly been given a freer reign over the music, letting it advance more experimentally and with greater fluidity. There is a definite course that this music is running.This is the sound of a band that has grown and matured. The once zany song titles are now stripped bare of all superfluous material. The content that was riddled with tales of girls, binges and purges now even delve into the art of concept writing, accounting happenings in ‘El Torrente’ that you can only hope are make-believe. The spazzy disjointedness that was so indicative of Minus The Bear’s music is generally mellower, typified by the innocuous ending of two gently tranquil love songs.The potential and promise that was spoken of so fervently when Minus The Bear arrived is slowly being fulfilled. This album offers a different dimension to the band and in a way it offers a lot more in terms of musicianship. If nothing else, they’ve proved that there’s more to them than madcap song titles and other oddities.

This album is totally cool. Up there with Highly Refined Pirates (which should be essential). Menos El Oso isnt quite as good as that, but there are some proper ace tracks like 'Hooray' and 'The Game Needed Me'. The album does have a few tracks in the middle that aren't that great, but it picks up. And 'Pachuca Sunrise' is totally cool.Minus the Bear's brand of relaxed dance music does seem to be at times so laid-back as to be horizontal, and this album is no different. If you liked the other albums, then this is gonna be a treat. If you've never heard of them (shame on you), imagine guitar dance music for people who like to sleep. Yeah!

Minus The Bear, kommen aus Seattle/USA, gründeten sich 2001 und spielen einen hervorragenden, intelligenten Indie-Rock. Sie haben bis dato 5 Longplayer und einige EPs und Singles herausgebracht. "Menos El Oso", ist ihre zweite Full Lenghts Platte und einfach ein Knaller im Indie-Rock-Genre. Die 6-Mann-Band spielen auf "Menos El Oso", erschienen 2005, einen knackigen, vertrackten jedoch immer gut nachvollziehbaren Indierock, der fast durch alle 11 Stücke das selbe hohe Niveau aufweist. Auch ist die Ges.-Laufzeit von knapp 45 Minuten absolut im Rahmen und eigentlich will man immer mehr von dieser starken Band hören.Meine All-Time-Favs-Stücke sind: "Memphis und 53rd.", "Drilling", "The Fix"(das etwas an Gang of Four, erinnert), "Pachuca Sunrise", "Michios Death Drive" und das geniale "This ain.t a Surfin Movie". Ausfälle gibt es keine, die Platte kann man jederzeit gut im ganzen durchhören, die "Skip-Taste" bleibt ausser Funktion."Menos El Oso", ist eine gute bis sehr gute Indie-Rock-Platte. Ich vergebe 4, statt 5 Sterne mit der klaren Tendenz nach oben, weil "Planet Of Ice"/2007 und "Omni"/2010, noch einen Tick besser sind.Als Vergleichsbands, fallen mir auf Anhieb: The Indelicates, Editors (ersten beiden CDs) und teilweise Interpol, ein.

Possibly their best record.

Amazing!

First of all, I ordered the vinyl LP version of this album. I know Amazon sometimes combines all reviews of the album itself (cd, vinyl, whatever) into one pool. So my review will be based solely on the vinyl and not the musical content since everyone has their own opinion on that (*cough* great album *cough*) This album comes as a single LP not a double 180 gram like OMNI. The pros and cons for each: With the double 180 gram, of course you get the louder, cleaner, smoother sound with less crackle. With the single, standard size vinyl, you sacrifice the sound quality but at least you can just hang out and listen without flipping the damn record every 3 songs. Also, I tend to like the crackley sound as long as it's not too bad. But anyways, what I'm getting at is this record gives you the best of both worlds. Whoever re-mastered this for vinyl did a great job. It's surprisingly clear and pristine for a single vinyl. Smooth lows, clean highs, good stereo separation without that jumbled sound you sometimes get from a crappy pressing. Anyways, I heard some other reviews saying the opposite so maybe I just got lucky and got a good pressing. But regardless, It's only 12 bucks, just get one and find out for yourself.

Lovely vinyl sound which is surprisingly clear. The songs have the ability to make me tear up. 100% recommended for anyone who has traveled, who has loved someone and who feels deeply. Also, anyone who likes to dance.

The best album ever. The packaging could have been better but the record works.

I've loved this album since college. Love it even more now.

This was the record that provoked my MTB obsession over 10 years ago. Perfect from start to finish.

Another great cd from the Bear! What a great unique sound ! Love it !

I love this album so much.It was warped a bit upon arrival but did not impact the quality of this incredible record. 10/10 would buy again

Not my favorite release but it still keeps up by owning one of these. This length will keep you dancing all night while drinking whiskey. There is less tapping on this album involved which was a let down. But it also had a unique like sound from there other lengths (even til this day) im still more into the bands first EP and first full length because it has more of a math rock tapping style. But this album isn't as bad neither it still somewhat makes up for it as the band approaches a different kind of tune before going mediocre like the rest of the releases. It's worth checking and everyone's favorite release.

One of their best records, highly recommend getting it on vinyl!!

This is my boyfriend favorite band and the second vinyl I've gotten him from the band, I got it for his upcoming Birthday (it was shipped right on time), I'm sure he is going to love it!! Thank You!

I learned of this band about 7 years ago. I like artists that have something unique about them. I like the guitarist's quirky little notes that make the band immediately recognizable. The cadence of the vocalist works well with the guitarist.

I just discovered this band/album and I think it is fantastic. What a fresh sound! I don't think there is a so so song in the whole thing, they are all good.