Review Summary: Simple yet substantial, Omni is a terrific Minus the Bear album that will, unfortunately, displease some long-time fans.
Gentlemen, we can rebuild them: we have the technology. And even though I doubt it cost six million dollars, Minus the Bear has outfitted themselves with some electronic gadgets and doo-dads and has truly become a bionic band for their fourth album,
Omni. Granted, their loveable style of indie rock has made small jumps here and there through-out the years, from the guitar tappings of
Highly Refined Pirates to the mellow intricacies of
Menos El Oso to the progressive nature of
Planet Of Ice, but their fourth outing proves to be their biggest stylistic overhaul. Given the stronger emphasis of electronics, is
Omni a successful experiment for the band, or does it mess with a winning formula?
What will make or break
Omni for first-time listeners and long-time fans alike, largely, is one’s compliance for having guitar parts take a backseat in favour of electronic sounds: What makes
Omni so much more different than the band’s previous releases is the greater emphasis of electronics and synths, while the guitar parts play a more diminished role. Instead of relying on guitar to build the foundations of the sound and acting as the main carrier of the melody (which has really been the band’s bread and butter for the past ten years), Minus the Bear now offer a more mellow, streamlined guitar sound and mostly let a dense environment of electronic sounds do their talking for them. It’s a risky move, no doubt about it, but although different,
Omni is still clearly a labour of love and a high-quality release.
“My Time”, the album’s opener, acts like the mission statement for
Omni and showcases the band’s new sound right from the get go: there’s very little to no significant guitar parts, and instead there’s plenty of high-pitched synth, groovy bass and drums, infatuation-themed lyrics and a musical background that’s absolutely sopping wet in little electronics noises. It proves to be a very fun, funky listen, and attentive listeners will have a lot to sink their teeth into with the developed, layered and stylized sound. Songs like “Summer Angel”, “Excuses” and “The Thief” feature very simple guitar parts, but the immersive electronics contribute a lot of intrigue and fresh, summery excitement, and their involvement is easily the crown jewel of the songs.
But even though the guitar plays a smaller role on
Omni, that doesn’t it mean it never gets a chance to shine. “Secret Country”, one of the album’s best songs, is driven by a fat, de-tuned guitar riff, and the guitar's stabs, screeches and swirls carry most of the workload. “Into the Mirror” features guitarist Dave Knudson up to his old tricks, as he busts out some guitar-loops and performs some riffing fits in the bridge of the song, while “Hold Me Down” is a more guitar driven and offers a brisk chorus. “Dayglow Vista Road” and “Fooled By The Night” is
Omni’s best one-two punch, however, as the guitar perfectly accompanies the dripping synth and electronic flickers, finding a perfect balance between the two and creating a terrific, beautiful atmosphere that is both catchy and invigorating.
With that,
Omni is sure to get both a lot of praise and a lot of ridicule, simply because it’s unlike any Minus the Bear that has come before it. Because the guitars have been “dumbed down”, so to speak, for more electronics and synths, it’s obviously going to annoy and displease some, while appeasing and delighting others. In the end, though, Minus the Bear offer yet another developed, creative and inspiring collection of songs, but unfortunately, personal preferences and preconceived expectations will likely hinder the enjoyment for some. For others, however, the saturated noises and fresh ideas will make
Omni one of the best releases of the year, and the album easily earns a respected spot in Minus the Bear’s distinguished catalogue.
