Menomena continue to swap instruments and build ideas on their fourth album of indie prog-pop. But where their other records combined pop smarts with mysterious thematic flourishes, the relatively straightforward lyrical approach on Mines ends up sounding quite brave. The difference here is in the directness — like the repeated mantra of “I’d like to go home, go home” that runs through “Dirty Cartoons.” Menomena have never come off like a gimmick; there’s too much thick perfectionism behind the broad layers of their work. But the confident Mines boasts a lyrical growth that finally lets the words catch up to the music. In “Oh Pretty Boy, You’re Such a Big Boy,” Brent Knopf sings, “I fear I’m showing my age.” But he shouldn’t worry about that. Maturity suits Menomena just fine. — Chris Drabick
This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 3, 2010.
