The Minor Leagues - The Pestilence is Coming

The Minor Leagues. The term carries a connotation of something not in its prime--too old, too young, but not in any way at a pinnacle. The same goes for the record's ominous title But, they're merely names and aren't intended to foreshadow contents. The Pestilence is Coming is the work of these Elephant 6-minded Cincinnati natives, allowing for an astonishing number of musicians (42, to be exact) to play on the team for the game's length of 51 minutes. Recorded and produced by members of The Minor Leagues in an attic, refined over a period of three years, and garnering the band comparisons to Ray Davies and Phil Spector, The Pestilence is Coming is intricate and charming, though sometimes innocuosly (like so many of its peers) prone to the now-requisite handclaps and brass and all that jazz. But, when it's on, it's definitely on, and there's not much "minor" about The Minor Leagues. There's a lot going on in The Pestilence is Coming. Of course, the 42 aforementioned musicians aren't simultaneously present; it would be a sweet experiment to initiate some kind of orchestral movement on the DIY level, but those attic recording sessions don't give much in the way of seating and ventilation. Loaded with multitudinous instrumentation and a concept of love and French Canadians, Pestilence ranges from kazoo to screaming vocals to gongs and bagpipes. Individual tracks needn't be pulled apart here, but Brian Eno and Belle & Sebastian could find solace and good times in The Pestilence is Coming, and the Olivia Tremor Control would find one of its most worthy successors to the world of elaborate indie-pop. [www.datawaslost.com]