Minus the Bear‘s fifth studio album! The Seattle-based fivesome reunited with former member and longtime producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Isis, Cursive) to create a guitar-laden 10-track record that is heavy both on technicality and pop songcraft.“Diamond Lightning,” so reminiscent of the somber Planet of Ice, has a way of crawling into your ears and refusing to leave. Jake Snider’s dark, distant vocals are out in full force, while the guitar work gently glides behind it. It’s a song that’s sad but catchy and perfectly demonstrative of the work Minus the Bear is capable of. “Lies and Eyes,” armed with Snider’s halting vocals and the band’s signature prog-rock approach, is another track worth spending some time with. It’s a song stuck somewhere between pop-rock and indie electro - a track so like the band’s older work that perhaps that’s what makes it appealing.
