Review Summary: Booyah Achieved
I hate saying goodbye. Whether it be the end of a relationship, a friend moving away, or a favorite band breaking up, it can be gut-wrenchingly difficult to deal with and move forward. That's how I felt when I first heard that Minus the Bear, a long-time personal favorite, was calling it a day back in 2018. Over time, it's possible to develop a strong bond with a band. Releases can correspond to significant events in life. The band’s first two full-lengths, Highly Refined Pirates and Meno El Oso, came out when I was still in school and brings back memories of those fun times. The Planet of Ice era came when I was living on my own for the first time. I’ll forever have specific memories attached to those albums and they provide a nostalgia buzz every time I return to them.
Farewell, serving as an epitaph to the band’s career, was taken from several different concerts over the course of their final tour, including the last shows in the band’s hometown of Seattle. Despite this, it’s still incredibly cohesive and it’s hard to tell that it was taken from different shows. With the cut and paste setlist though, the band sticks to business here and there’s nearly no banter between songs. Not only is this the band’s sole live album, but it also essentially serves as a greatest hits collection. The set is an excellent synopsis of their entire career and covers all of their major releases. It’s a pleasant surprise to see a few songs from the excellent EP duo of “This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic” and “They Make Beer Commercials Like This”. Admittedly, like most others, I find their earlier releases to be the strongest. While there may have been a slight decline in quality in their later releases, there still were plenty of gems to be found such as “Into the Mirror” from Omni and the title track from Diamond Lightning, both of which appear here.
While the band’s sound changed over time, their general tone and vibe did not. Booze, beaches, and girls are the most frequent subject matter of their material. Some might be turned off by the silly song titles and lyrics, but, for me, that’s a large part of their appeal. It's carefree music for those looking to escape the world for a brief moment. There’s beauty in simplicity and the jovial and sometimes immature nature of their lyrics are one of the reasons why I fell in love with this band in the first place. While deep or enlightening themes may not be prevalent here, there's an undeniable charm to the relaxed atmosphere found within this collection.
It's fitting that the finale here is Pachuca Sunrise, likely the band's most well-known song. It perfectly captures the essence of their sound. Perhaps the band’s greatest strength has always been their ability to transport the listener to a special place. A place where summer never dies. The harsh reality of our existence though is that everything eventually will come to an end. However, people and moments live on in our memories for as long as we walk this earth. Goodbyes are never easy but tomorrow hinges on the hope of endless possibilities, as there’s always another beach to visit and women we haven’t met yet.
