he latest in a recent string of promising bands bringing the rock is Minus The Bear. The group avoids the trappings of the The Strokes/Hives axis, however, by leaning more toward the quirky, spazzy side of the rock. Coming on the heels of a debut EP, Highly Refined Pirates is the band’s full-length calling card to the world. The majority of the album is dedicated to winding, but accessible, grooves led by nice intertwining guitar work. It’s nothing revolutionary—indie music has been flooded with tight multi-guitar outfits like this ever since Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto locked axes for the first time—but that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable.


Nevertheless, comparisons are legion. On “Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse,” one of many ridiculously titled pop-punk rockers, MTB recalls a less arty, more straightforward June of 44—the guitar textures on the verses are restrained and captivating, leading into a burst of energy on the chorus. In other places, the band is surprisingly reminiscent of a less sleepy Death Cab For Cutie, most notably on the break-up laments “Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo” and “I Lost All My Money at the Cock Fights.”


And everywhere else the group sounds like they have the blood of a dozen different D.C.-influenced bands from the past ten years in their collective veins. Juno’s shimmering art-rock style pops up on “Let’s Play Guitar in a Five Guitar Band” (as far as I can tell, the only song title to accurately describe the actual sound of this album), and J. Robbins’ distinctive voice is channeled all over the place by frontman Jake Snider (particularly on the relentlessly bouncy “Spritz!!! Spritz!!! Spritz!!!”).


Despite all this name checking, the album does manage to be more than just a collection of influences. Minus The Bear’s interplay is great, and they come up with some good melodies and songs to prevent this record from becoming a technical showcase. The music frequently takes interesting detours and packs plenty of surprises to keep boredom at bay. The distorted drum breakdown on “Women We Haven’t Met Yet” breaks up the typical solo, while electronics and keyboards gird many tracks here. “Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!” is one of the better songs on the album, in addition to being the best song title, mostly thanks to the insistent gurgling electronics that subtly blend into the music.


Never original, but always fun to listen to, Minus The Bear acts as an indie blender. Sure, you could listen to the albums of all the bands listed above individually, but why do that when you can hear them all mixed together and smoothly blended into a refreshing, easy-to-digest smoothie?