MAPS & ATLASES

Perch patchwork is some great indie pop, and that's pretty much it. At this point in their career, there is little to no math rock influence left. Pretty faithful to the 4/4 time signature, lots of catchy tunes with a fair degree of experimentation, flows very well and ties together nicely. If you're looking for some in-your-face math rock with distorted guitar and time signature changes every two seconds, definitely look elsewhere. This music is incredibly easy to listen to. If you can enjoy some well written folky indie pop with original sounding vocals and great instrumentation, I can easily recommend this album wholeheartedly.

Let me start this review with a short aside. This album is by no means falls under the Post Rock or Math Rock subgenres. Its place however under this heading on this site is warrented because the band grew out of a strong math rock background as evidenced by their two outstanding EPs that came before.

That being said we must ask: what kind of music is this? Personally I see this Album as being perhaps more progressive than thier EPs however this is less Math Rock and would fit better in one of the Ex-Art Rock genres as it could easily slide into Eclectic or Crossover Prog due to the blended genres and genrally accessability of this sound. Sounds on this album reflect a diverse range of artists, one will find tinges of Yes both in the nonsensical high pitched vocals and in the many Howe influenced guitar passages, notebly on the opener, Will. One will also find more traditional Math Rock guitar as on Pigeon, however this guitar work is not allowed to be dominate or become two technical or dissonant (though the band is certainly capable of this) and thus these moments are blended with more accessable styles. In the case of Pigeon it is mixed with the faux african sound pioneered by Paul Simon, but here being played more in the spirit of Vampire Weekend.

Musicianship is incredible as well. From tastefull tapping (not in the metal vein of this technique) to polyrythmic drumming, to groovy bass riffs to interesting percussion worked into the drumming and the subtle touches of strings and brass everything is played perfectly, and perfectly understated so that nothing steals the spotlight. Lyrically, as I mentioned, Davison can verge on nonsence however, often his lyrics come off as beautifful, even brilliant and always fit the music being played. The singing style here reminds me of Neutral Milk Hotell but in a higher register. The almost croaky sound might at first seem annoying to those not innitiated in indie folk, but its a grower much the same way as Wyatt and Hamill.

Over all I find this album to be excellent, a great display of what a band with a Math Rock background is capable of if they set aside the steriotypes of there genre and instead focous on playing beautifull progressive and catchy tunes! I will give this four stars: great but not a masterpiece, though perhaps their next release will be. They are certainly close to finding that special somthing that nudge them over the edge into timelessness!

Maps & Atlases' debut EP "Tree, Swallow, Houses" is one of the few so-called *math rock* albums that I really enjoy along with the Slint masterpiece "Spiderland," Hella's debut "Hold Your Horses," and Minus the Bear's "They Make Bear Commercials like This." Hella's sound is an extremely obvious reference point to Maps & Atlases' music; to some extent, "Tree, Swallow, Houses" sounds like a Hella album with vocals recorded on top. But that doesn't mean that Maps & Atlases are necessarily *ripping-off* the tapped-guitars-meets-in-your-face-drums style that Spencer Seim and Zach Hill arguably invented--they're just expanding it. Maps & Atlases' songs are more tuneful than Hella's (mostly due to the vocals of Dave Davison) and many of the rhythmic changes in Maps & Atlases' songs are more metronomic and slightly less *jarring* than those present in Hella's music. In this sense, Maps & Atlases is a more accessible band than Hella and Don Caballero, but their music is still off-putting to those who do not typically listen to math rock. GRADE: B+ (89%)

Melodic, Quirky, Dance-able, and Math!?

Maps and Atlases is a vocal math rock outfit that has put together two EPs of which _You and Me and the Mountain_ is the second. Five relatively short songs are all we get. But in fine math tradition, the band packs quite a bit in at once. Each piece has a distinct statement to make both lyrically and musically, and it takes quite a few listens to pull apart the tightly woven threads of this music. At the same time, it's amazing how pleasant it is to listen to even on the basic level.

Another remarkable thing about this band is how well the voice fits with the math style and yet is still melodic and hook-y. Singer Dave Davison's timbre is relatively high and firmly within the indie style, but often he has to be more rapid-fire and rhythmic to keep up with the band. Sometimes, the voice is just one more repeating, interweaving line along with the clean guitars, bells, multi-timbred bass, and drums varying from straightforward to chaotic. The lyrics are as carefully chosen as the compositions are arranged, but always with a sense of playfulness that belies just how hard this stuff must be to play.

My favorite songs are "Artichokes" and "You and Me and the Mountain," though all of the pieces are quite good. Part of me yearns for more than this short foray, but I also wonder if the band is quite ready to sustain the energy for an entire LP. The sound itself may not be quite ready for that. It's so busy that even 45 minutes could be an exhausting listening experience. As it is, I'm left wanting more, left repeating the disc to go dig for more nuggets of gold. The EP delivers in that regard, over and over.

I'm just now really starting to get into math rock, and this has been an excellent entry. For those who say there is nothing new in music, dive into this EP.

Dirty spit-in-your-face Mathrock this is not. Inventive absolutely, distinctive to be sure, but the Don Cab comparisons to this foursome are dubious. In fact M&A bear little resemblance to most number crunchers, exhibiting a far more developed and stylized palette that may vaguely remind of a vocal-oriented Tortoise (or even Steely Dan gone math geek). Guitarist/singer David Davison whines attractively above the carousel of ringing and clinking mazes carefully worked by the second guitar of Erin Elders, Shiraz Dada's bass and Chris Hainey's traps, and recalls - of all people - a young Peter Gabriel complete with lyrics full of daydream abstractions. It's a mix that works surprisingly well.

Strange and squeaky 'Witch' builds on an otherwise throwaway riff, turning into a rather neat mantra, the guitars providing little breaks and the band's subtle dynamics shifting here and there just enough to alter the effect. Just as odd is 'Artichokes' with Davison's semi-pop warbles contrasted by the crashing rhythm section. The title is in a slightly more familiar math vein and is outstanding, blending maze music with prog rock changes, while dreamy 'Daily News' develops well with melody and counterpoint, and the jerky shuffle of 'Ted Zancha' is a bit loony and seems to put us in the head of some disturbed individual.

A refreshing change of pace as mathrock goes with a gentler band that gives the style room to breathe. Very nice.

Maps & Atlases dazzled us with their ability to fuse the technical wizardry of Don Caballero with poppy melodies on their debut EP Tree, Swallows, Houses. Since then, record labels have dazzled us by not paying for a full-length from these guys. OK, I can't support that claim, but really, has that ever mattered to me? It's just as possible that the band only managed to write 5 great songs for their next release. Truly, I'm all about a band taking their time when it comes to writing songs, and should never feel obligated to write more material than they can at the expense of quality, but goodness, why isn't this band turning more heads around here (here being the world as a whole)? It's clear that the band is on a low budget: those who saw them on tour a year or so ago may have noticed their drummer's only crash cymbal falling apart on stage. The guy places that cymbal way too high and at an improper angle, and that's why it cracked, but that isn't the point: the band can't even replace that cymbal! Yes, that's another claim I can't completely support, but it seems like a logical inference, doesn't it?

Anyhow, Maps & Atlases has finally given us some more delicious, jolly music with You and Me and the Mountain. On this release, redundantly named frontman Dave Davison has eased up on the blistering riffage in order to give us even stronger melodies than before. I dare you not to sing along while you're listening - even the first time through you'll learn these melodies before the songs finish - and then sing or hum them later on that day. Don't think that the band is simplifying their stuff, though. While the technicality may not be as obvious here, there are more textures and layers on this one than on their debut. And what a fantastic use of woodblock throughout! They also haven't completely foregone the fretboard tap dancing; you'll hear it here, but much more subdued and supportive of the melody. I must say, that is exactly how they should have channeled that aspect of their music. There wasn't much more they could have done with the over-the-top speedy riffs. They did a great job with them before, but I think the band is now starting to develop a sound they can call their own. It's not so easy to pin down the sound on this one, and since it's even more catchy and accessible than their old sound, that can only be a good thing.

I can't to hear more from this band in the future. If you haven't checked these guys out, I recommend that you do so immediately. Warning: the vocals may sound a little strange, but I'll be darned if they don't spew the most infectious melodies a cerebral song can allow. While any of these five songs is a case in point, I find myself attracted to the title track and "Ted Zancha" the most. Advise for starters: just start! Check out anything! Go!

One of the upsides of this debut EP from Maps & Atlases is you can get it as an mp3 download for about five bucks. One of the downsides is that it is difficult to gauge whether this is a bunch of former art- school students that is going to make interesting progressive math rock, or a bunch of former art- school students that are going to end up being another precocious and slightly boring indie band. Hard to tell after listening to these tracks, but there are some promising indicators.

First off the complexity and innovation in the guitar work is a far cry from so many mundane indie rockers who sat around college dorm rooms acting pretentious and dreaming of a life spent in a bohemian loll. Unlike the fascinating but rudimentary ‘Chronic Town’ from R.E.M. way back in the early eighties (and the non-musical comparisons seem valid), these guys actually know how to play their instruments pretty well. And unlike many other post-rockers, they can also sing and write some clever lyrics, although most of them don’t make much sense. The emphasis is on turning witty phrases, not on deep philosophical or political manifestos. In fact, the title of the third track “The Ongoing Horrible “ (which appears to be a sarcastic reference to suburban life) is one of the most interesting song titles I’ve heard in quite a while.

The instrumentation though well-done is fairly sparse: guitars, bass, drums. It’s just that these guys do a little more with them than a garage band or a bunch of skate-rockers. The drums are the weak point in my opinion, a bit disjointed and lacking in any kind of perceivable purpose other than to keep time in a loose fashion. Otherwise I found this to be an enjoyable listen, though nothing I’d consider remarkable. All the tracks are pretty short and some like “Stories about Ourselves” and “The Sounds they Make” are not much more than Friday night college-bar fare; but others like the opening “Every Place is a House” and “Songs for Ghosts to Haunt To” are a bit more promising with some indications of thoughtful arrangement.

I’m not sure there’s a clear path to where the band will be able to take their sound if they decide to move into a more mature direction, but it will be interesting to see what (if anything) they come up with next. This is a pretty good album so I’ll say three stars for the effort and mildly recommended.

peace

Maps & Atlases is band with a good taste of melody as well as musicianship. Right from the start of this EP one is attacked by a storm of guitar notes just to show that they mean business. The music is very spastic, electrifying always upbeat and never assertive. The nasal vocals do help keep the music accessible and engaging considering that there aren't too many math rock bands that uses vocals. Everything on this album moves very quickly changing from theme in mere seconds and the flurry notes the main guitarist / vocalist throws at you doesn't help on calming the situation either. The complexity of these guys isn't something that can scare away the average prog listener and a good thing is that the music isn't self-indulgent or pretentious in any way. The lyrics are weird in nature, but I think it's better to pay more attention on how he sings it instead of what he's singing.

This is a typical EP in length, but I honestly think it's perfect as it is. While being around 25 minutes long (or short depending on what you normally listen to), the music on this EP leaves you satisfied and with a good taste in your mouth that'll keep you playing it for weeks on end. Maps & Atlases are highly recommended for fans of catchy and complex music.

3.5 out of 5