One of the most expansive-sounding trios in indie rock,
Minmae started as Sean Brooks' lo-fi singer-songwriter project. After adding fellow Portland, Oregon, musicians Josh Kempa and Christopher Calvert, Brooks began supplementing his folksy melodies with psychedelic swirls and sci-fi synthesizers. Minmae's May 9 release, its eighth full-length record in as many years, opens with a largely instrumental epic that devotes most of its nine-minute span to fuzzy feedback and echo effects. The album's French title,
Le Grand Essor de la Maison du Monstre, might intimidate at first, but colorful cover art depicting airborne architecture with ghostly appendages simplifies the translation:
The Great Flight of the Monster House. Similarly, Brooks' calm vocals and the soothing, steady rhythm section keep the songs accessible, even when the guitars shoot for the stratosphere.
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