These Mints Have Their Own Flavor

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 11, 2009 4:15PM

Have the Starlight Mints really been around for over a decade? Hailing from Norman, Oklahoma in the late '90s, the group drew a fair number of comparisons to fellow Okies The Flaming Lips. We always thought this was a lazy description since The Lips were on their way to creating futuristic symphonies at the time, and the Mints were firmly entrenched in their own little brand of weirdo orch-pop. Not really the same thing at all.

Starlight Mints always operated somewhat under the radar, and we think their talents have been largely under appreciated, at least in the Midwest. (We say the band in New York a number of years ago playing to a rapturous sold out Mercury Lounge crowd, but each time we've seen them in Chicago the crowd has numbered in the dozens. Criminal.) On one hand, we sort of understand. In recent years the group has grown up and moved into mature lifestyles -- kids and all -- and can only tour in the times their tykes' schools are not in session. And they are quirky. Their tunes are often short, make unexpected detours, and are not the sort off thing that allow you to aimlessly nod along to the music. Each time you get a little too comfortable, a trombone blast comes out of nowhere or the song simply lurches to a sudden stop before taking off at another sprint.

The group just released their fourth album Change Remains. It follows the template set by previous albums as described above pretty closely, and we have to admit that for the first half of the album we were content but not particularly impressed with the band's latest offerings. Four songs in, though, the looping bass line and massive distorto-drums of "Zoomba" woke us from our reverie and shook us awake. This was a beat that couldn't be denied, and that thundering tune flowed right into the frolicking summer slice-n-dice of "Black Champagne," a tune that would be the smash hit off the sunshine season in another dimension. After those two the album settles back into its previous pace, but after that one-two slap on the ass the rest of the disc still tingles.

Change Remains isn't going to launch the Starlight Mints to the top of the indie-pop mountain, but they've staked out their own little slice of land high on its slope. They're comfortable for the most part, with flashes of inspirational lightning, and we're totally fine with that.

The Starlight Mints plays tonight, June 11, at Bottom Lounge, 1375 W Lake, 8 p.m., $15, 18+