Minus the Bear - Voids (March 3, 2017) Album • Page 7

I'd take Omni over it and I was a p staunch IOH defender but yeah this isn't really that bad. Put it in with the rest of their catalog and hit shuffle and I'd be happy.

It's getting close to Menos El Oso weather time!

 

Solid 7.5/10 album.

Love that solo in Silver.

 

I have not had the interest to give this another go, there's just been so many great releases in the past couple months

 

I heard Voids again recently since like April. I've probably heard this album six or so times now and the other day it was so underwhelming. I initially thought it was better than IO, but after hearing that again too now I'm not so sure.

 

Yeah I've come back to this like zero times haha. Seeing them in May playing a set that was heavy on this record seemed to turn me off of it even more.

 

Yeah I've always liked IO better, but they are both pretty underwhelming. I fear they peaked with POI and it's all down hill from there.
I enjoyed Lost Loves and the Acoustic albums more than the last 3 LPs.

 

I still really enjoy Omni.
Everything since has just been OK. Nothing stand out really.

 

I really enjoy Infinity Overhead too. Listing might be my favorite MtB song. Lies and Eyes. Diamond Lightning. Cold Company. All great.

 

OMNI love for life

 

OMNI is really fun and different. Infinity Overhead is spotty, but definitely more memorable and with higher highs. This is the first MTB album that I feel is a true disappointment...the lows are low and aside from a couple standouts, the bulk of it feels like filler. It's an album on autopilot.

 

It's definitely been a slow slide since POI. Omni was pretty good, but the last two are largely forgettable. Not sure Voids is any more underwhelming than Infinity, though.

 

Everything up to POI - great
Omni - good
IO - ok
Voids - gosh I don't want to say bad because I really love this band but...

 

This is only bad in the context that we know what this band is capable of. The album itself is fine; it's completely listenable. But if this were another band's debut, I wouldn't think twice about not coming back to it.

 

Exactly. I still really enjoy IO. But this is just... average. Disappointing from them.

 

That's a great point, I'm being overly harsh on them. I legitimately enjoy half the songs on the album and What about the Boat is like one of my favorite songs of the year. Plus that last minute of Lighthouse is so cool, it proves they still have that magic in them

 

I don't think you're being overly harsh! My review of this album was not positive, haha. Some people might argue that it's not fair to call this a fine album but a bad MTB album, but in the context of their discography, it really is just completely underwhelming. That's okay; it took them five good to great albums to really slip up. It happens. But it'd silly not to consider all of that when critically analyzing this album.

 

I remember at first I thought your review was a bit harsh, but now I'm agreeing with it more and more. Saying this album is the band on autopilot is spot on. I remember reading somewhere of them saying how proud they are of this album and now I'm like crap. I don't want them to continue in this direction

 

I remember I had clicked on your review before listening to album just to see how it was recommended. When I saw that Do not recommend I was thinking "but it's MTB! This guy can't know what he's talking about." Then after hearing the album I went back and actually read the review and thought "yep I agree with everything he's saying." Haha

 

I've literally gone back and forth so many times with myself wondering if I should change it to a "Neutral" recommendation, but idk, there's probably a reason I haven't done it yet. Maybe I'll revisit this tonight and decide once and for all.

 

I'll always hate the idea of writing something negative about a band I love, but I gotta try and keep myself honest

 

I still love a lot of stuff on this, but it's certainly a middle of the road MtB album.

 

I've told friends about a lot of albums this year, and have posted a bunch of songs on my Facebook that I've been into. Though I didn't do any of that for voids, so for me I literally did not recommend this album. So I think your choice was fitting from where I stand.

 

Completely relate to the feeling of denial over this album. Their last two albums have definitely been underwhelming, which is frustrating coz Steel and Blood, Lies and Eyes, Diamond Lightning, Last Kiss, Silver, they're all top tier mtb songs. They can still crank out fantastic tunes, but the albums as a whole have had some clunkers. I don't like to think of this band as having peaked, but...

 

If you take the best songs from this and Infinity Overhead, you have a top-tier Minus the Bear album. Might make a new playlist-album called Infinity Void haha

 

I'd be interested to see that tracklist! Throw in Lucky Ones from Lost Loves and I've no doubt you could make a killer album from these tracks.