TAOS – Menomena TAOS – Menomena (Buy)
Today’s review is sponsored by the letter M, but not because of the album title, or the artists name. Today, M is for minimalism.
Menomena is a trio with origins in Portland, Oregon. The members originally met at Dartmouth college, but moved back to Portland to build the band. Mines is Menomena’s fourth LP and this seasoned group shows an interesting blend of instrumentation and songwriting. But most interesting is that the production of this LP. In a time where many bands are knocking their listeners over the head with a sound that envelops a listener’s ears with thick soundscapes, this album stands in opposition.
Already this album interests me – Mostly because I don’t have to think of a clever way of telling you about the ambience, or use the word soundscape for the rest of this review.
Menomena uses a clever mix of strong percussion, piano, horns, guitar, synth, and bass lines. And at times, with all working in harmony, Mines displays a crescendo or two. But never does the band step away from the basics. Well written chord progressions, with good vocal melodies. In fact, large portions of these songs rely on one instrument to carry the song for multiple measures. Something few indie bands seem to employ.
Where the minimalism comes in is from the ‘room’ the production has created. The way the instruments have been mixed and separated is distinct. I haven’t heard an album that sounds like this in awhile.
Although I am obviously intrigued by the angle Menomena comes from in their production, I did not fall in love with this release on all fronts. Mines seems to lose inspiration at times. There are a handful of jam sections that lack purpose. Even so, Mines is a worthwhile listen.
