Went to see the much anticipated Menomena show last night at Doug Fir and I'm not ready to give it a glowing review. They played a good mix of new tunes and old favorites - including the fastest version of "Cough Coughing" I've ever heard. I'm listening to a couple of the tracks you can download on their MySpace, which I'm not sure if they will be on the album or if they're just throw aways. As reported in WW the band is pushing back the release a few months to perfect and fine tune the recordings.
I found similar elements in the new songs as in some of my favorite oldies. Similar chord progressions and riffs. But that's not bad. And I'm not in a position to judge them yet. But what got to me was the feeling of unease I was getting from the stage. They didn't feel unified. Justin (bass/sax) admitted at the get go that the band was nervous, but why? Portland hearts Menomena. We missed them. They should be comforted here. They should feel the freedom to go try new things and experiment without judgement. I know I have reserved mine.
The pleasant surprise of the evening was Nice Nice. Where Menomena felt a little disjointed, this duo was completely in sync. And that's what it takes to craft the rich, swelling loops that filled the room to the ceiling. I was honestly more impressed with the drummer, even though the guitarist/everythingelseist had to switch more instruments and fine tune his loops. The drummer had such a mastery of his instrument as well as incorporating an electronic sample pad with a variety of other sounds/tones. I want one.
-Thank you for reading.
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