If you are discouraged and getting down about the present pop music scene, you probably have not yet discovered the sublime musical treasure known as the Elephant 6 collective, which includes an assortment of bands that know how to make original and high quality pop records. For one of these purely pleasurable pop experiences, check out the Portland, Oregon-based Elephant 6 pioneers known as The Minders and their latest release, Golden Street, on Spinart Records.
The Minders’ sound is reminiscent of an upbeat XTC, Left Banke, Sloan and Elephant 6 cohorts The Essex Green. The most prevalent influence in their music, however, is 1960s British pop. The band combines smooth harmonies, a delirious dancey beat, multi-textured and whimsical instrumentation and sensitive and smart lyrics to produce an easy sound that pulls listeners in for a bouncy ride of addictive melodies.
Golden Street’s lyrics alternate from sophisticatedly romantic (as in the song “Light”) to melancholic and Belle and Sebastian-like (“Sleeping Through Everything”) to colorful, imaginative and childlike. In the idyllic song “Treehouse,” Minders’ frontman Martyn Leaper sings, “I feel at comfort in my treehouse hideaway/ Up on the platform and the king of all I survey.” Such sweet and welcome moments are frequent on Golden Street, even though they are unexpectedly mixed in with occasional gloomy insight.
Transitions throughout the record are subtle both lyrically and musically, and listeners will be unaware of what The Minders will provide in the next song. For instance, the song “Nice Day for It” begins as a gentle pop song, but a driving bass rhythm gradually invades, followed by crescendos into an explosion of dissonance. The song then fades into slow strings and returns to its original pop song mentality.
The Minders utilize a unique jumble of instruments on Golden Street, ranging from a harpsichord to sax to a TV dial. Co-founder Rebecca Cole drives through the songs with intricate and catchy piano melodies. Martyn Leaper is a superb vocalist and guitarist. By adding several clever touches to their music, The Minders make their repertoire distinguishable and enchanting.
After roughly two years of writing and recording, The Minders have put out a youthful and satisfying record that really works. Their path, or shall we say “street,” to the ever-elusive kingdom of pop music is indeed golden.
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