With a newly expanded lineup of five musicians total, thanks to the inclusion of Martin Mushrush and Casey Seyb,
the Minor Thirds create another warm and gently witty collection of songs on the group's fifth overall album,
Nebraska from Afar, showing bandleader Chris Piuma's continuing fondness for understated observational details about how people interact in relationships and life (a good example from the opening "Omaha": "You're still programmed in my cell phone"). The band's wry sense of humor remains fully intact -- the album as a whole tells the story of a couple who re-encounter each other in an Omaha pancake house, while the final song is given the title "Aquaman in New York City." "Cherry County," the album's centerpiece, is a calm winner of steadily paced twang and reflection -- while comparisons could be made at various points throughout to
the Go-Betweens, it is here that
the Minor Thirds get that sense of deft, to-the-point performances perfectly nailed. Charlotte Wells once again has a chance to show her sweetly ruminative vocal turns on such songs as "Adam and Eve on a Raft" and "Twin Cities (And Vicinity)," a nice contrast from Piuma's deeper delivery without breaking the atmosphere created. Seyb's brisk drumming with brushes is a lovely touch in general, adding all the energy one could want without disrupting the sharp flow of quicker songs like "Artichoke," one of the album standouts, while when not contributing entertaining trumpet parts Mushrush shows his appreciation for guitar pedals and what can be done with them, getting a chance to bow with queasy soloing on "In Medias Res." Perhaps the most sprightly number is "(Turn Up The) Radio!! The Radio!!," containing a slew of snippets from other bands with whom the group's members and various guests have played, turned into a mega-medley. ~ Ned Raggett