It may be an album that relives '80s alternative rock memories, and it may contain echoes of shoegaze acts, but does this mean good things for Minks?
Simply, the answer is "Nah". It may sound good in theory and, in fact, has been put into practice several times over and over, but there's something about this album that doesn't sit too well with me. I mean, the composition is there, the lo-fi production component is there too, but for some reason I couldn't really get into it at all. I may feel this way because I've heard this sound ad nauseum and fail to find any semblance of originality. I wouldn't say By the Hedge is original, and it's obviously very derivative, but I don't even think being derivative is a bad thing. I dunno. This issue is actually starting to get on my nerves.
Even if I don't like the album much, though, I'm confident that there is a bunch of stuff on here that a lot of people will find enjoyable, especially if you're one of those types of people that are fond of shoegaze and dream pop. If dreamy guitar textures are what tickles your DICK, then you will have plenty here to keep you going for maybe a month or two. The slight problem with By the Hedge is that many of the tracks start meshing, and by that, I mean that half of it sounds pretty samey and lacks differentiation. You could argue that this is the way it should be, given that the nature of the album is supposed to have a dreamlike atmosphere that you can lose yourself in; not having to pay too much attention to it but, rather, it's something you're meant to just feel. If your sentiment is that way, then I guess I can empathise and say that the album would excel at giving you that experience. This album might really work for you, but for some reason it just doesn't do anything for me.
Overall, I wouldn't say that this album is a profound experience that will make you feel like a better person after listening to it, but I don't even think that was the original intent of the band. I mean, this is Minks, not fuckin' Enya. There's a lot of mood and atmosphere here to keep most fans of dream pop interested and, despite it's flaws, it's still worth at least maybe one listen. I dunno, this album might do a lot for others, but I'm afraid to say that for me, personally, this album just isn't much chop.
5
Simply, the answer is "Nah". It may sound good in theory and, in fact, has been put into practice several times over and over, but there's something about this album that doesn't sit too well with me. I mean, the composition is there, the lo-fi production component is there too, but for some reason I couldn't really get into it at all. I may feel this way because I've heard this sound ad nauseum and fail to find any semblance of originality. I wouldn't say By the Hedge is original, and it's obviously very derivative, but I don't even think being derivative is a bad thing. I dunno. This issue is actually starting to get on my nerves.
Even if I don't like the album much, though, I'm confident that there is a bunch of stuff on here that a lot of people will find enjoyable, especially if you're one of those types of people that are fond of shoegaze and dream pop. If dreamy guitar textures are what tickles your DICK, then you will have plenty here to keep you going for maybe a month or two. The slight problem with By the Hedge is that many of the tracks start meshing, and by that, I mean that half of it sounds pretty samey and lacks differentiation. You could argue that this is the way it should be, given that the nature of the album is supposed to have a dreamlike atmosphere that you can lose yourself in; not having to pay too much attention to it but, rather, it's something you're meant to just feel. If your sentiment is that way, then I guess I can empathise and say that the album would excel at giving you that experience. This album might really work for you, but for some reason it just doesn't do anything for me.
Overall, I wouldn't say that this album is a profound experience that will make you feel like a better person after listening to it, but I don't even think that was the original intent of the band. I mean, this is Minks, not fuckin' Enya. There's a lot of mood and atmosphere here to keep most fans of dream pop interested and, despite it's flaws, it's still worth at least maybe one listen. I dunno, this album might do a lot for others, but I'm afraid to say that for me, personally, this album just isn't much chop.
5
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