This self-titled record is the debut by miniaturized. While it’s their first record, the musicians have also played with the likes of Pinback, Rocket From the Crypt, No Knife, and more. You’ll pick up on hints and patterns from some of those groups here, but this record is an exploration of new styles and territories. While the band formed for a one-off live tribute to Tom Petty, the songwriting has developed its own sound in 2023. I’d broadly categorize it at prog-pop. The songs and sounds are expansive but most of them still build around a refrain or big hook to some degree. They also lean closer to the 4-5 minute mark rather than going longer. Of course, I’m generalizing about the whole of the record here. A couple songs are almost straight pop-rock, while a couple are almost straight prog. You’ll also get some other styles subtly mixed in, with a steady overall tone but good variety through the 14-song record.
The album starts with “Riots,” which has a chill Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros vibe. It’s a more rock-oriented tune and, arguably, sets a misleading tone for where the record is headed. The first quarter of the record is more rock and pop in general, going from “Riots” to “Blue Glass,” which begins to explore new terrain, with layered, dense soundscapes carried by shifting basslines and complex drum patterns, especially in the final movement. I thought of …Trail Of Dead here, with higher vocals. In many ways I think the song “Miniaturized” is what this record is all about, whether it’s intentionally a theme song or not. It’s big and grandiose, but not quite cinematic. Similar to …Trail of Dead, the drums really drive this sound.
“The Suitor” is another track I’ll highlight because it’s a tonal shift toward the proggier sounds. This song is highly repetitive and still pop, but the mood is going in a new direction. Maybe it’s just that I don’t favor higher pitch vocals and hearing them on repeat gives me some ‘80s metal undertones, which is an outlier to the rest of the styles I’ll discuss here. But after “The Suitor,” the record tends to focus more on exploration than repetition. It takes elements of prog rock and psychedelia to a lesser degree. I even thought of late-era Ween at times during this record, with dense prog but a far more serious tone. “Tell It True” would be an example that feels a bit too grand for me, but it contrasts beautifully with the rock beat intro of “Gemstone” after it. “Gemstone” may be the song where all the elements of miniaturized really come together the most, beginning with the straight-forward driving beat and building toward a more dramatic, explorative tone.
While a lot of prog lives in a sci-fi realm, though, for miniaturized, it’s nature and the physical sciences. “It’s Science” is actually the name of one of the songs, which could be another theme song for the record. The main concept of miniaturized (the record) is that, pardon the cliché, we’re all just dust in the wind. But they word it with far more detail going from the core of the earth throughout the universe at different points.
I like upbeat music. Not exclusively but, the more spacey and proggy something gets, the more it loses me. That’s important to note, because a good piece of this review is based on personal tastes. I’ve noticed that pattern repeats in my takeaways about this record too. I like the first third of the record, and a few songs toward the end jump out as well, but they all have a more pop element to them. My favorites are probably those first three songs and then “Perfect Angles,” but if the description here appeals to you, check it out and reach your own conclusions. It’s grown on me on repeat play and, while it will never be a personal favorite, it’s got some quality tunes if it fits your vibe.
