McStine & Minnemann: III

Hot of the press, the third release from multi-instrumentalists Randy McStine (Steven Wilson) and Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats) is a stew of various influences all wrapped up in a beautiful harmonious bow of Beatleseque melodies and harmonies. Wow, this one connected immediately, no break-in period to speak of which is rare. The thing is, you are listening to complex music, but somehow they are able to make everything so catchy, any number of these songs should be getting radio play.

The Beatles influence is immediately evident on the opening “Over the Bay�, beautiful vocals, and hooks galore over the acoustic guitar and keys. “Survive� follows with an amazing opening riff and I love the sense of motion that is created by the drums and bass during the chorus. Every song offers up little surprises, here we get a nice acoustic section, and then the monstrous closing jam has me smiling ear to ear. McStine shows his monster chops here, I can hear why Steven Wilson recruited him. “Tigress� is another earworm, the verse and chorus are so catchy, and I love the xylophone sound that give off a Zappa vibe, which you’ll also catch in those great little runs during “Riding on Clouds�. “Your Own Decisions� and “Crossing Wires� showcase the more eclectic adventurous side of their writing, dark, heavy, but never forgetting to keep their melodic side present. The album maintains the energy and intensity from start to finish with no fall off in quality. “Lines Around You� easily has the hooks to garner radio play along with the acoustic vocal driven “Green�, so good.

Honestly, there is nothing better than connecting with music you are hearing for the first time. I have been familiar with both artists, and a big fan of the Aristocrats, but why have I not investigated this duo sooner? You get treated to 43 minutes of wonderfully creative music and musicianship; this one hits all the right buttons from start to finish.

Track List:
1. Over the Bay
2. Survive
3. Tigress
4. Your Own Decisions
5. Crossing Wires
6. This Time
7. Lines Around You
8. Riding on Clouds
9. Green
10. Free
11. The Unmanned Flight

Added: April 13th 2025
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Artists @ Bandcamp
Hits: 266
Language: english

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