The Minors
Not So Shy
(Independent Release)
By Corey J. Feldman

On their debut album, Not So Shy, Brooklyn’s The Minors establish their brand of melody-driven coffeehouse folk/pop spiced with solid rhythms and atmospheric piano and guitar lines. The music is glazed by the extreme control Ben Carroll has over his vibrato and framed by catchy harmonies piled on by piano player Nick Panasevich and drummer Jeff Rothman.

At some moments, the vocals add a dramatic, theatrical tone, instead of the more driving rock that sometimes takes precedence, but the style works for the most part, and both Rothman and bassist Lynne Feldman keep a tight reign on the rhythmic foundation for the collaborative songwriting expressed thru Carroll's tenor.

The lyrics can be lackluster, or in “Wake Up,” downright hokey: “I wake up early in the morning/the sunshine is bright on my windowpane/ I like the night better than the day.” Yet they can also add darker undertones to the traditional boy/girl love theme, as in “She Says Don’t Go:” “The window is still open /The ash is on the floor/And you are still just sleeping/I let you sleep some more/I wish that I could tell you/You set my heart on fire /But I am cold beside you honey /I feel like I’m a liar/Wish I could remember /How you crept in through my door /But the window’s open /The ash is on the floor.” Carroll proves he can create a somber mood with his voice and lyrics, and often times during Not So Shy, both find a delicate balance within The Minors’ affable groove.