Minus the Bear

Will Minus the Bear make it? With a second successful tour and a new EP just released, it may be safe to say the critically lauded quintet is going to stick around. Then again, maybe not, considering that its EP Acoustics, released in October, features only one new offering, which,...

By Emma Breysse

November 13, 2008

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Will Minus the Bear make it? With a second successful tour and a new EP just released, it may be safe to say the critically lauded quintet is going to stick around. Then again, maybe not, considering that its EP Acoustics, released in October, features only one new offering, which, though worthy listening, is nothing earth-shattering. Certainly there are several better on 2007's Planet of Ice. But with former members of three short-lived but legitimately good bands — Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving — in their ranks, they have a shot. Tracks on Planet of Ice show that Minus the Bear can bring the best of their former experiences together in a sound all their own. Listen to "Knights" if you don't believe me. If they can hold on to keyboardist Alex Rose and keep frontman Jake Snider from putting too much time into Onalaska (in which he is also lead singer), they may avoid the member-turnover trap and have a chance to really get comfortable with their sound. Dare to dream, eh?

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