There was a period of time where Minus the Bear stopped liking Minus the Bear. At least, it sure seemed that way. The stop/start technical noodling and short-attention-span lyrics that were such integral cogs to the Seattle band's signature sound were kicked to the curb for 2010's Omni, an album that sounded closer to Maroon 5 than the Minus the Bear we've known and loved. To the band's credit, Omni is a grand statement—since it seemed as if the band had grown stagnant with the template that served them so well on their three previous full-lengths (technical precision + goofy song titles)—and better to be weighed down by ambition than to succumb to the pressure of recording the same album over and over again. Whatever, I'm just killing time until Sharks Keep Moving reunite. EZRA ACE CARAEFF