#Big business band album full#

There are some hidden gems if you dig deep enough and focus on the right elements, but in the end, it's hard not to label this as Big Business' most unimpressive record.īottom Line: If someone could break into the studio housing this album's raw tracks, give the bass and drums the balls they deserve and remove a large chunk of the guitar work on this album (or hell, just bury it deep in the mix), this would pass as a pretty solid Big Business record. But with such a heavy dose of irritating guitar lines and the lack of the low end crunch that we've all come to expect give this album a proceed-with-caution rating. And a consistently creative songwriting mentality (heard best on 'The Drift' and 'Ayes Have It') still earns these guys their stripes. The stellar bass lines, catchy vocals, and inventive drumming are all still there. To be fair, the scale is certainly relative, and a number of bands would benefit from having the bass punch of this record, but in the world of Big Business where thick grooves mean everything, this production is a miss. The raw crunch of Head for the Shallow is a distant memory in comparison to this album's generally weak bass and drums presence. Some of his additions on 'Found Art' and a Cursive-like organ presence on 'Ayes Have It' are definite high points, but the remainder are either outright bothersome or an unnecessary nuisance.Īnother major problem is the lack of beefy production. The excellent low end of 'Gold and Final' and 'Cats, Mice' can be difficult to enjoy when Kasai's meandering one string lines are placed prominently in the mix. Like a few Big Business tracks of yesteryear, there is the occasional moment in which a minimalist guitar touch is much appreciated, but covering nearly every song with incessant noodling is taking it a step too far. Third LP in four years- and second since becoming Melvins members- from the L.A./Seattle group, now a trio with the addition of guitarist Toshi Kasai.

#Big business band album full#

At its core, Mind the Drift still packs a lot of the same elements that made Head for the Shallow and Here Come the Waterworks so uniquely impressive - the massive opening bass groove of 'Gold and Final,' the spastically relentless drumming of 'Cold Lunch,' and the insanely catchy vocal lines in the staccato rhythm-heavy track, 'The Drift' - but too many things go wrong along the way for this to reach its full potential.

And it bums me out to admit that this is hands down the weakest Big Business album to date. What's the verdict Does a 50% increase in members mean they're 50% more awesomeĭefinitely not. Fast forward to 2009 and the band has delivered Mind the Drift, the first proper recording with new permanent member Toshi Kasai handling the guitar and random noise duties. What's not to like about Big Business Head for the Shallow and Here Come the Waterworks were two stellar albums, with the former establishing the (then) duo's knack for catchy heaviness and the latter showcasing some of the lengthy dirges that often anchor their live show.