Omni is the fourth full-length album from Minus the Bear, released on May 4, 2010. It is their first album to be released on Dangerbird Records and was produced by Grammy Award-winner, Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket).[1] On April 27, 2009, the band began recording without the support of a record label. On September 3, 2009, they announced on their Twitter that they were officially done recording.
| Omni | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 4, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | Avast!, Electrokitty | |||
| Genre | Math rock, experimental rock, progressive rock, electronic rock | |||
| Length | 49:41 | |||
| Label | Dangerbird | |||
| Producer | Joe Chiccarelli, Minus The Bear | |||
| Minus the Bear chronology | ||||
| ||||
On October 27, 2009, they self-released an EP, Into the Mirror, featuring a brand new track from the forthcoming album titled "Into the Mirror," and a b-side from the recording sessions titled "Broken China." This was released on a 7" vinyl that was sold exclusively at shows, and through various digital outlets on the internet.
In February, 2010, the band announced that they had signed to Dangerbird Records. Soon after, the title, track list, and release date of their new album was unveiled.
On March 3, 2010, the album's first single, "My Time," was made available for free download on the album's official website.[2]
On April 19, 2010, the album became available for free streaming on KCRW's Official site.[3]
Track listing edit
All lyrics are written by Jake Snider, except "The Thief" and "Animal Backwards" co-written by Alex Rose; all music is composed by Minus the Bear
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Time" | 4:06 |
| 2. | "Summer Angel" | 4:45 |
| 3. | "Secret Country" | 5:31 |
| 4. | "Hold Me Down" | 4:08 |
| 5. | "Excuses" | 4:38 |
| 6. | "The Thief" | 4:33 |
| 7. | "Into the Mirror" (Featuring Rachel Flotard) | 5:11 |
| 8. | "Animal Backwards" | 4:16 |
| 9. | "Dayglow Vista Rd." | 5:10 |
| 10. | "Fooled by the Night" | 7:23 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Broken China" | 5:39 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Your Private Sky" (released as track 11 on the EU International version with "Broken China" at track 12) | 4:49 |
| 2. | "South Side Life" | 4:06 |
Recording and release edit
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | (65/100) [4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [5] |
| The A.V. Club | C[6] |
| Blare | [7] |
| Pitchfork Media | (3.5/10)[8] |
| Slant | [9] |
| Sputnikmusic | [10] |
| AbsolutePunk | 88%[11] |
| Paste | 79/100[12] |
| PopMatters |   [13] |
| One Thirty BPM | 55%[14] |
| Rock Sound | [15] |
Omni is different from the previous Minus the Bear studio albums in that it was recorded in the style of a live show, with the band playing straight through each track rather than recording components of each track and "piecing" them together.[16]
The album was released early for Internet streaming by KCRW, a National Public Radio affiliate based in Santa Monica, CA on April 19, 2010.[3] Lead singer Jake Snider endorsed this release, asserting that it added energy to live shows, as fans already knew the new songs [16]
Personnel edit
Minus the Bear edit
- Jake Snider - Lead vocals, Guitar
- Dave Knudson - Guitar, Omnichord
- Erin Tate - Drums
- Cory Murchy - Bass
- Alex Rose - Keyboards, Vocals
Additional personnel edit
- Produced by Joe Chiccarelli and Minus The Bear
- Mixed by Joe Chiccarelli
- Mastered by Emily Lazar and Joe Laporta
- Additional recording by Jake Snider and Alex Rose
- Additional vocals on "Into The Mirror" by Rachel Flotard, courtesy of Visqueen and Local 638 Records
- Recording Assistant: Jonny Mendoza
- Assistant Engineer: Jay Follette
- Assistant Engineer: Eric Corson
- Track Editor: Lars Fox
- Drum Tech: Gregg Keplinger
- Additional Drum Tech: Phil Petrocelli
- Guitar Tech: John Stephan
- Keyboard Tech: Kurt Bujack
References edit
- ^ "Minus the Bear's New LP OMNI Out May 4th". Joe Chiccarelli. February 22, 2010. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ "OMNI Lyrics + Credits". Minus the Bear. Retrieved 5 May 2011.[verification needed]
- ^ a b "Omni Preview". April 19, 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ "Omni". metacritic.com. Retrieved 2014-09-22.
- ^ "OMNI Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ Mincher, Chris (May 4, 2010). "OMNI Review". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ "OMNI review". Blare Magazine. May 3, 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ Cohen, Ian (May 4, 2010). "OMNI Review". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ Liedel, Kevin (May 2, 2010). "OMNI Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ Wolfe, Matt (April 30, 2010). "OMNI Review". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ Beringer, Drew (May 3, 2010). "OMNI Review". AbsolutePunk. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ Jacobs, Justin (May 6, 2010). "OMNI Review". Paste. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ Kabran, Michael (6 May 2010). "OMNI Review". PopMatters. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ Jordal, Ryan (5 May 2010). "OMNI Review". One Thirty BPM. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ Haydock, Mike (26 August 2010). "OMNI Review". Rock Sound. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ a b Gallo, Phil (May 6, 2010). "Minus the Bear's fans quickly warm to Omni". soundspike.com. Retrieved 5 May 2011.