New York City's
Plus/Minus arrives at its most fluid set of songs yet on the group's sophomore album,
You Are Here. Guitarist
James Baluyut finally has a band and
Plus/Minus' sound, an atmospheric blend of guitars and electronic beats, is finally coming together. The dynamic between
Baluyut, drummer
Chris Deaner, and guitarist/vocalist
Patrick Ramos is much more focused and direct than
Baluyut and
Ramos' stint with
Versus.
You Are Here is more or less a portrait of abstract colors and designs, only to be filtered out by instruments and the band's cathartic lyrics. Shifts in playing style showcase the album's varying moods, hence the appeal of the 11-song set. From the dreamy percussion/guitar mix on "She's Got Your Eyes" to
Plus/Minus' traditional drumbeats on "Cutting Out" and "No One Sees You Like I Do,"
You Are Here highlights the band's sharp redesign. The emo-tinged "Trapped Under Ice Floes" is much more strict and cut than the original version found on the
Holding Patterns EP. The bandmembers have realized their strengths with
You Are Here. Instead of surrounding themselves with what appeals to them sonically, they've combined that with the visual. The more subdued "Summer Dress 1 (All Her Winter Clothes)" is their most confident. "Here We Are (Again)," which features
Tuscadero's
Margaret McCartney sharing vocal duties, continues in the vein of keeping things concise and simple in order for
Plus/Minus' unique crafty sound to speak for itself. It's a great double-take from 2002's
Self-Titled Long-Playing Debut.