Review: Minden – ‘Sweet, Simple Things’
Ever think sexy thoughts during inappropriate times? Portland’s very own Minden are those thoughts. Their second LP, Sweet, Simple Things, is the disco-lounge-pop odyssey of the summer that will keep those vagabond shoes moving towards the taboo places you love all winter.
Minden have delivered a complete album. Members Casey Burge, Candy Sweets Taylor, Evan Houston, Papi Fimbres, and Lia Lavendar are a tight group of musicians that put pieces of a musical puzzle together with a precision touch. It’s a reminder to why it’s important to teach children to play piano, and that full bands can make music you can dance to just as good as a DJ. The Bee Gees would genuinely appreciate the song structure and the frequent falsetto harmonies. In a world overloaded with three-minute bass and drum loops with spastic keyboard notes thrown in, Minden make modern music the old-school way. The percussion section I especially enjoyed on the album. Everyone will appreciate the addition of Latin drums to their repertoire of tools that were absent for their debut, Exotic Cakes.
The one thing you can’t ignore are the lyrics of Minden. “Love Is Bad” just might be an honest apology for being a bad lover. However, its most likely a series of creatively crafted sexual innuendos way deeper than a minor squabble over dirty dishes. Minden have the gift of sparking memories of your fondest intimate moments, because Casey Burge’s lyrics expose the strange oddities that come along with finding a lover, like asking them to take an interest in adult film… you’ll understand when you listen to the title track, “Sweet, Simple Things.”
I have a tough time explaining Minden. Their sound has influences from late 70’s disco and the synthpop-heavy 80’s, which somehow made its way to Portland in 2016. I have had the pleasure of seeing Minden live what seems like ages ago at The Nectar in Fremont. They were on a beautifully eclectic bill which included fellow PNW’ers Rose Windows and The Helio Sequence. Led by Casey and Lia’s vocal cat and mouse game, they forced a usually reserved weekday Seattle crowd into a Studio 54 nostalgia dance party. As an obsessive Seattle show-goer, it’s rare to see a crowd let their hair down and go with the music anymore. They melted the Seattle freeze that night for a small collection of people, and I’ve been waiting for their new release Sweet, Simple Things for a couple years. It did not disappoint.
So throw on your favorite white blazer and pull up those bedazzled tights as Casey Burge and crew seduce listeners with kinky yet polite lyrics, backed by grooves so smooth you’d think they’re Botoxed. With songs like “Never Spayed,” you can learn about Lia’s complicated relationship with her cat… or something, I don’t know. Just listen to the album, don’t think, just flow with their uniquely sexy tunes.
(Sweet, Simple Things is available for purchase via Minden’s Bandcamp page digitally, or on CD and 12″ vinyl at minden.bandcamp.com/album/sweet-simple-things. Listen to “Real Sugar” below.)
