Evidently inspired by
Pavement's landmark
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and
Archers of Loaf's
Icky Mettle, Portland's
Minmae concocts bold, capable indie rock that's as long on guitar power ("Experimental Pop Song) as it is on inventive arrangements. Okay, in the face of the aforementioned -- not to mention
Smog -- countrified stompers ("Dimorphic Hips Have Chances Still") and winsome, pedal steel-augmented weepers ("My Parts Will Not Rust") are hardly revolutionary. Still, with a decade-plus of depth, very little in the indie rock world straddles melody and six-string mayhem with the type of finesse exhibited on 2005's
I'd Be Scared, Were You Still Burning. To put it simply,
Minmae makes gold soundz for now people.