Minus Story

My Ion Truss

Record Review by Adam McKibbin

Minus Story depict an expanse of open sky on the cover of My Ion Truss, and it's not a stretch to say that their songwriting follows similarly broad horizons. Their truest color seems to be that of a slightly off-kilter indie-pop band, the sort that would be apt to hole up in a studio with Dave Fridmann; instead, Minus Story took shelter at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio. Deliberately disjointed, My Ion Truss occasionally snoozes, but mostly plays to the Kansas band's strengths.

After starting with a Jimmy Tamborello-ish ambient opener, Minus Story break into galloping barroom rock on "Aaron," which features slight verses and powerful choruses. The music that ensues thereafter divides its time between herky-jerky art rock, earnest indie Americana, and pretty piano ballads. When pursuing the latter, as on "Battle of Our Lives," Minus Story sound affected by Daniel Johnston's fractured folk-rock; hell, they temporarily sound like they're fronted by Johnston, with a dash of Conor Oberst's warble thrown in. That minimal approach doesn't work as well as more varied tracks like "The Way Beyond," which progresses from an airy, relaxed soulfulness to a manic crescendo—and sounds compelling on each setting.