Press "Enter" to skip to content

Quick Hits: Minimus the Poet

Minimus the Poet‘s five-song EP Married in the Mud will sound quite familiar to fans of the Avett Brothers. Minimus has similar ideas on songwriting: play rock on folky instruments, sing easily memorable memories, toss off a great riff here and there. Minimus even sounds like the lower of the Avett Brothers in singing tone; they both have the wry yet animated tone and booming mid-range voice.

The great riff comes in the title track, which is a rhythmic riff that interlocks with the drums for a very post-punk feel. It’s a really sweet aside, and it fits the no-holds-barred feel of the song.

The rest of the EP is less frantic than that rock song; “Drying Out” features accordion and familiar folk/country drum rhythms, while “Indigo” and “Poison” are mellow ruminations — the latter has a great instrumental break featuring subdued banjo and piano. The easy vocal and instrumental swagger of “Prudence” could have been ripped from Emotionalism; some may find the comparison as a downside, but if it’s an enjoyable tune, does it have to re-invent the wheel? I say no.

Minimus the Poet’s music will appeal to those who are fond of the hyper-kinetic folk of the Avett Brothers. He’s yet to establish a signature sound that sets him apart from the pack, but his songwriting skills show that he could do so if he continued to experiment with his craft and hone his solid voice and songwriting potential into something more.