They make boring albums like...
To obtain an idea of how the whole of �They Make Beer Commercials Like�� sounds, please listen to the first twenty seconds. Clean vocals, fine drumming and guitars that don�t irritate. So, that�s good, right?
Wrong.
There�s nothing wrong with this album musically � six songs which don�t offend the ear with vocals that compliment the music. So what�s my problem with this album? Well, I have two. Firstly, this album has no redeeming features. You�ll listen to this maybe five times, then listen to something else and totally forget about Minus the Bear. There�s nothing on this album that pushes the envelope at all � no thinking outside the box on the part of the Seattle pop rockers. The second gripe I have with Minus the Bear is that the sound effects, which I believe are made by keyboardist Matt Bayles, present on the first song are quite simply the most irritating things I�ve ever heard.
According to Minus the Bear�s guitarist Dave Knudson, the new CD �captures the energy from the live show better than any of our previous releases�. It is therefore my belief that Minus the Bear must only play at retirement homes and cemeteries. This album is boring. Thank goodness it�s only twenty minutes long. Yes, that�s right. Twenty. Still, twenty minutes was enough time to cause me to pass out from boredom.
Minus the Bear have the potential to make real pop rock � the sort of stuff bought by thousands of people because they want to enjoy rock without having to wear industrial headphones. The band�s keyboard player, Matt Bayles, is also in both Isis and Mastodon � two bands who really know how to make music. Now he just needs to teach the other four members of Minus the Bear, and we�ll have a great band on our hands.
There�s hope for Minus the Bear � I can sense they have the ability and the drive to make a legendary album. However, �They Make Beer Commercials Like This� is not it.