Search - Plus Minus :: You Are Here

Must-have

musical spelunker | 09/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw Plus Minus at a Death Cab For Cutie concert, and was more than pleased with their performance . Their sound was something completely new.. at times it reminded me of Death Cab.. but then I'd have to snap out of it and realize it was completely different . A few songs, such as ventriloquist, infuse guitar with a trobbing beat and confusing drum passages to create an almost 'math' sound that make you fall in love with them . I never buy cds of the opening bands at shows, but I was more than happy to purchase this gem . I also never write reviews, but here I am, ready to proclaim the goodness of this relatively unknown great band ."

Complex pop never sounded so goooooooooood

N. Leitzke | Roanoke, VA | 07/29/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm probably going to tick some people off for calling an Indie Rock band 'pop,' but in the end I think all music is pop, so get over it. Anyway, I was introduced to these guys this April at James Madison University's Macrock festival. They opened with Megalomaniac, and I was hooked for the rest of the show. In Bennie and the Jets there's a line that says, "You're gonna hear electric music, solid walls of sound." That's how I describe these guys. Usually when a band plays really loud for the sake of playing really loud I tune it out and decide that they suck, but when these guys play it loud you can still hear some dynamics and some vocals, so that says something about their talent. All of the songs on this album are really good. 'Cutting Out' holds a superb contrast between a quiet, mellow verse, and a completely rocking, distortedly awesome chorus. 'Trapped Under Ice Flows' (here shortened from their Holding Patterns EP) remains a solid track, a well constructed song that makes you want to drive 60 mph on the Blue Ridge Parkway. 'Here We Are Again' reminds me of mid-90's pop but with an Indie twist, a nice addition. If anything keeps this album from five stars it's that I'd like a few more fast paced songs. The slower stuff is still excellent, but I'd like it changed up a bit. Other than that, this album is an excellent buy. I reccommend it to anyone who just wants to mellow out."

Very good

Christopher Bowers | buffalo, NY United States | 06/09/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This band is worth seeking out if you like your music based in pop, but hesitate to buy a pop album. Plus Minus seem to be interested in making accessible music, but try to vary their approach with each song. This results in a very mixed album, but a very good mixed album.



Plus minus mixes straight forward rock songs with elecronic pop and folk based pop songs. My favorite tracks are "No One Sees You Like I Do" - an incredibly well done song from a stalker's perspective, and "Here We Are again" - a straightforward pop song about a longterm relationship that is in limbo. "Surprise" and "She's got your eyes" are very good electronic pop songs. "Trapped Under Ice Floes" and "Cutting Out" are very good uptempo rock songs. Even the radio friendly generic-sounding 'megalomaniac' has grown on me and is a decent song.



The only complaint is that perhaps the sequencing could have been better. Some of the songs are subdued and get lost on the album. This complaint is a bit worse on the first album (although that one is also very good). Listen to that one first if you prefer your music dreamy and more Pet Sounds-like."