Menomena is a three piece that hails from Portland, Oregon. The band consists of Brent Knopf, Justin Harris and Danny Seam.

The act released their 4th album, titled Mines, on Barsuk Records on July, 27th 2010. Mines finds Menomena experimenting with a more accessible sound yet still retaining the experimental edge the act is known for.

Memomena is often labeled as chill wave: a genre tag that includes such luminaries as Beach House, Neon Indian, and Wild Nothing to name a few. The name Menomena is rumored to have derived from the Muppet’s song “Mah Nà Mah Nà”, performed by Piero Umiliani. Menomena’s sound is a combination of progressive rock, electronica, free-form jazz and at times R&B. All three members share vocals duties.

The first track on Mines is ‘Queen Black Acid’ about a relationship gone awry by way of an Alice In Wonderland tale. Several AIW references are littered throughout the track: like the lines “I walked right in through the rabbit’s door/and walked right into the rabbit’s hole”. The track begins with the sound of a strummed electric guitar accompanied by a melodic bass melody that sounds not unlike Queen’s bassist John Deacon. The track floats along with an almost laid back R&B groove with a vocal delivery along the lines of Brooklyn based act T.V. on the Radio.

Track 3. “Killemail” features a vocal performance sounding uncannily like Damon Albarn lead singer of Blur and the Gorillaz. “Killemail” features a beat and melody in the vein of the UK act Bloc Party, with guitars in the vein of shoe gaze acts such as My Bloody Valentine and Ride.

As an album Mines is oblique, with a non-linear structure that lends to a whimsical feel throughout.  We as listeners are presented with laid back urgency throughout; intricate beats make way to melodic piano breaks and cathartic backing vocals as evident on Track 2. “TAOS.”

“TAOS” is a heavily layered track begins with a fuzzed out bass riff accompanied by an urgent vocal delivery.  Around the one and a half minute mark, the track breaks down to just a background melody with a melodic vocal twist, finally ending with an arpeggiated piano line with soothing vocal harmonies. “TAOS” is a great example of the production style dubbed “everything and the kitchen sink” which all available instruments and studio trickery is implemented when recording a track, thus resulting in an often complex and layered final product.

The highlight of Mines is the exceptional “Dirty Cartoons”, the 4th track. “Dirty Cartoons” opens with a thickly strummed acoustic with a splattering of reverberated guitars adding background color to a laidback vocal line. “Go home, go home, I’d like to”, the tracks hook, is repeated throughout lending a hypnotic mantra that finally breaks way to a layered gospel-sounding repeat of the main vocal refrain.

Mines production is cleverly layered with fuzzed out bass and intricate beats. Various found instruments are melodically featured throughout.  Mines reward’s new layers through repeated listening, as well as juggling yet retaining an experimental edge mixed with catchy hooks and melodies.

Being that the initial lyrical message is not entirely decipherable with various metaphors’ littered throughout, the initial message is up to us the listener. Listening to Mines is equivalent of taking a trip down the rabbit hole and seeing our lives through a fairytale lens. In the end Mines is an engagingly whimsical listen, with a clever, intricately layered production that does not distract from our experience as the listener. Mines proves to be a great album to throw on and get lost in, ’specially during these soon to be ending lazy days of summer.

In this day of rushed living and instant gratification, it’s nice to get lost in the rabbit hole from time to time.

“I walked right in through the rabbit’s door/and walked right into the rabbit’s hole.” ~ Queen Black Acid