Appears at http://www.nationalunderground.org/news/must-have-albums/181-defiance-ohio-midwestern-minutes
The members of Defiance, Ohio, as people and as musicians, exude an undeniable charm. Their positivity is infectious. At any given show, it feels as though everyone are close friends. There is an inseparable bond between the audience and performers, which is further enforced by the amount of audience participation and the thin, often indistinguishable line between both sides.
It is unsurprising, then, that “The Reason” expresses this same feeling of camaraderie. Thematically, it shares a similarity with “Response to Griot,” as Ryan sings, “We all expect to be up for the next time you make it to town. We all think you’ll be there the next time we’re around. But some of us aren’t going to make it.” “The Reason” is a bittersweet tribute to the dedicated fans and friends of the band, in remembrance of those who could not be with them on their most recent endeavors.
Midwestern Minutes, the band’s fourth full-length, once again recalls the unifying themes of friendship, togetherness, and traveling. “Cigarettes,” one of the four re-recordings from last year’s Songs for the Icarus Project EP, provides an even briefer (the length of the original track has been cut in half) insight into the demanding but ultimately rewarding life of constant touring, while “Her Majesty’s Midwestern Islands” describes a sketchy cruise. “Hair Pool,” which makes its much-anticipated return in electric form, retains the epic qualities of the acoustic original. The climactic ending, enhanced by a guitar solo and a smile-inducing “woo-hoo!”, might even encourage one to high-five the nearest friend.
Lyrically, Midwestern Minutes offers a good deal of variety. Geoff brings a thoughtful, socially-conscious perspective, contributing two phenomenal tracks. “Dissimilarity Index,” for example, discusses the economic disparity between neighborhoods that are located within the same city. “Flood Waters,” the Will-fronted album opener, portrays an anarchistic utopia of sorts, declaring, “Hold your empty disemboweled gas tanks up high. Turn them into a bong or a still. Looting through the gas stations, tilling up our backyards... That’s my rosy picture of the end times, my friend.”
It doesn’t hurt that the band is comprised of fantastic musicians. Defiance, Ohio’s trademark sound has been refined slightly, but their unique identity remains intact. The strings are used a bit more sparingly, while the piano plays a more dominant role. This is merely a subtle change, and each instrument is used appropriately and with great effect. The upright bass even makes a brief return. Vocally, each song is fronted by one member of the band. The song distribution is about even, although BZ and Sherri’s lead vocals are unfortunately absent.
At twenty-seven minutes, my primary criticism is of the record’s brevity. Five songs have been previously released (albeit different versions), leaving a small amount of new material. “Short but sweet” has been the case of each release since 2006‘s The Great Depression, but with the two-and-a-half year wait between Midwestern Minutes and the previous full-length The Fear, the Fear, the Fear, I expected a bit more. Of course, this isn’t to say that there is anything wrong with the quality of the music itself, but the quantity leaves something to be desired. Then again, I wish that the experience, much like that of their live shows, could last forever. Defiance, Ohio, you truly are loved.
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