![News Added Mar 06, 2015 e Minus 5 is Scott McCaughey's cool band with a rotating lineup. The group mainly mines classic, British Invasion-inspired rock 'n' roll. And while the music may be relatively lighthearted, some of these newer song lyrics are fairly serious. For instance, "In The Ground" is a meditation on the afterlife. […]](https://hasitleaked.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/m-320x320.jpeg "The Minus 5 : Dungeon Golds")
e Minus 5 is Scott McCaughey's cool band with a rotating lineup. The group mainly mines classic, British Invasion-inspired rock 'n' roll. And while the music may be relatively lighthearted, some of these newer song lyrics are fairly serious.
For instance, "In The Ground" is a meditation on the afterlife. It finds the group at peace with whatever happens post-death. Then with "It's Beautiful Here," all the world's ugliness can't keep these guys from still seeing what's truly lovely and praiseworthy in this world of ours.
One other main member of the band is Peter Buck, best known as the guitarist for REM. But the stars that have gone through The Minus 5 ranks are legendary. These include Robyn Hitchcock, Robert Pollard, Mike Mills, John Wesley Harding, Lee Renaldo, Steve Wynn, Ben Gibbard and Wilco, to name but a few.
You get the sense listening to this album, as with most The Minus 5 releases, that friendship – as much as musicianship – holds the act together. The overall feel of this collection of songs is looseness and enjoyed company. Yes, the songs are serious at times, but the mood is never overly dark or depressing.
Another overriding factor is kinship in musical taste. These guys get together to create the music they truly like. They don't, by any means, attempt to mimic what's most popular at the moment. “Hold Down The Fort,” for instance sounds a little like sunshine pop and other '60s garage rock varieties. It's driven by groovy organ sounds, which is not something you can say about a whole lot of contemporary music.
The group also knows its way around a country song. Just get a load of “The Unforeseen,” which includes a lot of steel guitar accompaniment. It's the sort of song that just may make you drop a few tears into your beer.
One song, “Adios Half Soldier,” is a story song that breaks from the album's overriding philosophical lyrical streak. “Chinese Saucer Magnolia” also adds s touch of the psychedelic to the mix.
If you love great,vintage rock 'n' roll, and you don't mind if friends accuse you of living a little in the past, The Minus 5's Dungeon Gold ought to fill you with nostalgic warm fuzzies. This type of music is timeless. Sonic fads may come and go, but guitar-y '60s pop-rock will never get old. The Minus 5 always adds up to a good time for nerdy rock history buffs. It's also fantastic, even if you aren't a nerd.
