Minor Thirds

Hot on the heels of last year’s high plains concept-driven Saskatchewan EP, Portland, Ore.‚ the Minor Thirds hand in their most fully realised offering yet in Dishwasher Thief. Once again, the chief attraction is the ever-fertile imagination of bandleader Chris Piuma (joined by band mates Charlotte Wells and Jacob Anderson, as well as Chris Calvert on drums), this time bent not towards fantastical dreams of Uranium City and dirty talk in Moose Jaw, but used in the service of a minimum-wage crime story. Figuring out the narrative is half the fun, but rest assured that all the classic elements of a good caper are intact. We’ve got scheming, disguises, getaways, Cole Porter, and contract bridge. Where earlier tM3 records were admirable for their lofty ambitions and plucky lo-fi avant-folkisms, on Dishwasher Thief the band’s execution has finally caught up with their charm. From the airy, conspiratorial whirl of album opener "The Thieves Guild,” through the angry, forcefully-strummed acoustic guitar of "Shit City” to the utterly gorgeous accordion-laced wistfulness of closer "The Initiative,” (sung by Wells) the Minor Thirds bring it all together.