Minus the Bear – Farewell (Distro Title, Suicide Squeeze)

Farewellopens with a highly energized performance ofMenos el Osos crucial track Drilling. Part of the beauty of watching Minus the Bear was hearing their songs unfold on stage and realizing how little studio magic was actually involved in their albums. All the electric wizardry by guitarists David Knudson and Jake Snider, technicolor synth work by Alex Rose, and rhythmic interplay between drummer Joshua Sparks and bassist Cory Murchy happens in real time, and hearing the old favorites here in all their road-tested glory is an invigorating reminder of the bands razor sharp performances and forward-thinking creativity. Minus the Bear were never a band to rest on their laurels, andFarewellimmediately moves onto late career classics like the melancholic banger Last Kiss. The whole discography is coveredfrom first EP cuts like Lemurs, Man, Lemurs and Hey, Wanna Throw Up? to the title track of their final releaseFair Enough. Longtime fan favorites like Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse and Pachuca Sunrise sit alongside newer hits like Cold Company and Invisible. And in between we hear the roar of the crowd, the heartfelt thanks and bittersweet ruminations on the passing of the years by Snider, and the occasional dad joke by Rose.

Farewellcovers a lot of ground across the span of its 26 songs and two-hour run time. Yet every moment is a reminder of why Minus the Bear were such an experiential live band. They were always pushing forward, evolving their sound, and finding new ways to balance brainy musicianship, pop worship, meditative sentimentality, and adrenalized fervor into their own signature concoction. Further bolstered by the mix of Matt Bayles and master job by Ed Brooks at Resonant Mastering, the album sounds like a fully immersive live experience. Suicide Squeeze Records is proud to offerFarewellto the world on October 29, 2021, as a 3xLP and on digital formats.

1. Drilling – Live2. Last Kiss – Live3. Lemurs, Man, Lemurs – Live4. Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse – Live5. Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister – Live6. Diamond Lightning – Live7. My Time – Live8. Summer Angel – Live9. Cold Company – Live10. Fair Enough – Live11. The Fix – Live12. Fine + 2 Pts – Live13. Im Totally Not Down With Robs Alien – Live14. This Aint a Surfin Movie – Live15. The Game Needed Me – Live16. Invisible – Live17. Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!! – Live18. White Mystery – Live19. Spritz!!! Spritz!!! – Live20. Knights – Live21. Lets Play Guitar in a Five Guitar Band – Live22. Hey, Wanna Throw Up? – Live23. Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo – Live24. Into the Mirror – Live25. Throwin Shapes – Live26. Pachuca Sunrise – Live