On their sophomore effort, Creatures Of Culture, Nashville’s The Minks play an inspired blend of psych rock that brings to mind everyone from the Black Crowes and Janis Joplin to CCR and Exile on Main Street era Stones led by Nikki Barber’s impossibly smooth vocals.
Across 10 tracks, the band manage to vacillate between the driving snarl of “Motorbike” to the dreamy, atmospheric “The Love I Have,” pulling in a versatility that manages to keep the listener’s attention for the entire album. The record closes on “Lavender,” a bouncy, hypnotic response to the recent global pandemic. “Lavender is a cure for anxiety, and a little dose on your head may just be able to do the trick, or at least get you on the right path. Same goes for music,” says Barber recently.
Creatures Of Culture is a strong step forward for the band, building on the foundation of their 2019 debut, but bringing in more influences and even more compelling songwriting. For the past several years, East Nashville has been creating a remarkably eclectic music scene—from Americana and Metal to Psych Rock—far removed from the standard pop country that has come to define the city. The Minks are certainly doing their part to remind the world that Music City USA is so much more than cowboy boots and Wrangler jeans.
