Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice

Planet of Ice sounds a particularly generic title for an album by a band that has previously produced volumes such as Highly Refined Pirates, but the opening tracks here are more than enough to confirm that the conventionality stops there. Building on dizzy guitar effects, the melodies are solid without pushing hard for experimentation: highly excusable given the ever-flighty percussion and progressive nature of the tracks. Moments between Burying Luck, Ice Monster and Knights even verge on a decent, if considerably more sober, impression of Mars Volta-type song linking: staccato strumming, math rock finger-picked layering and wah-pedal increments abound. Where the prog dries up is where the depth really becomes noticeable, with bass lines dragging along the intricate reverbs and inverted pedals across psychedelic vocals. Lyrically, Minus the Bear aren't pushing themselves to the places you feel they could take you, but then overall Planet of Ice seems rather within itself. Luckily, 'within itself' is still songwriting and production that is easily amongst the best leftfield rock out there just now. [Jamie Borthwick]