For their second album, the Minus 5 cut away many of the experimental detours that hampered their debut
Old Liquidator (presumably
Peter Buck got those stylistic diversions out of his system on his
Tuatara sideproject), and concentrated on charmingly ragged pop-rock. Although they still occasionally dip into cutesy territory, The Lonsome Death of Buck McCoy is much more immediate and endearing than its predecessor, capturing
Scott McCaughey's off-kilter melodicism quite well. Among the highlights are "Moonshine Girl" and "Boeing Spacearium," which, given the title, appropriately features Guided By Voices'
Robert Pollard on lead vocals. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine