Mint
• Mod-pop outfit crafts clever rock.
Winnipeg’s Rod Slaughter first started showing signs of brilliance back in his bass-and-drum two-piece Duotang. While that band made about as much of their dual-instrument format as anyone could they quickly discovered the limitations of their limitations. Novillerro Slaughter’s newest outfit has put no such restriction on their sound and the difference is immediately obvious. Keyboards horns and other flourishes flesh out the arrangements giving a full complement of textures to the band’s cleverly crafted rock.
On A Little Tradition the band’s third full-length album and second on Mint Records Novillero downplays their soul and Motown influences opting for a more straightforward pop-rock influence. Traces of Mod rock and psychedelia do creep through — the mariachi instrumental “Paco Rabame” recalls Love while the lovely dream-pop of “Daydreams & Distractions” with guest vocalist Keri Latimer from Nathan could be a female take on The Zombies. It’s more muscular than most Mint outfits manage adding just enough garage edge to keep things from getting too polished. The breadth of arrangements and the sharpness of the songwriting show that restraint is far from the only approach — sometimes a little indulgence is in order.
