Menomena

Here are the two most important things to know about Portland-based experimental indie rock band Menomena: 1) Pitchfork loves them, and 2) no one person in the band is the primary songwriter; rather, every band member submits their own portion of each song electronically, and then they all get together to combine them. So yes, that bearded guy living in the downstairs bedroom who wears beanies in July probably loves them.

In this case, though, he has good reason to. Menomena has matured quite substantially from their 2003 debut I Am the Fun Blame Monster! (which was boldly creative at best and uncomfortably disorganized at worst), with their latest album, 2010’s Mines, turning out to be one of the best indie rock albums released in recent memory. The songs are brilliantly layered with waves of keyboards and guitar riffs, managing to swell to a fever pitch one moment and then dip into a laid-back downtempo section the next. “TAOS,” “Lunchmeat” and “BOTE” are perfect examples of this and stand out as album highlights.

Hardcore, long-time fans of the band will likely lament Menomena’s scaling back of the haphazard experimentation that defined the group’s early work, but don’t let them fool you; Mines was definitely Menomena’s most accessible album—and don’t confuse “accessible” with “bad.” The lyrics discuss deep, often-tragic topics (among them loss and depression, on many of the tracks) in layman’s terms, which is a remarkable feat if executed properly, and it definitely is. And as for the instrumentation…well, you can decide for yourself if you enjoy structured, well-designed songs more than unrestrained experimentation. In all, Mines represents a new direction for the band, and one that could win them a lot of new fans if they choose to pursue it.

For more information about the band and their upcoming plans, you can visit their official website at menomena.com.