Minus the Bear - Farewell - [Gray Color Vinyl 3LP Record New]

Farewell opens with a highly energized performance of Menos el Oso’s 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 happen in real-time, and hearing the old favorites here in all their road-tested glory is an invigorating reminder of the band’s razor-sharp performances and forward-thinking creativity. Minus the Bear were never a band to rest on their laurels, and Farewell immediately moves onto late-career classics like the melancholic banger “Last Kiss.” The whole discography is covered—from first EP cuts like “Lemurs, Man, Lemurs” and “Hey, Wanna Throw Up?” to the title track of their final release Fair 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.

Farewell covers 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 was 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. 1. Drilling - Live