Music is a bit like cooking: mix a bunch of random ideas together and you’ll likely wind up with a mess unfit for consumption. The trick for musicians is nailing a balance of flavour, harmony, and texture. It’s all about tapping into that elusive sweet spot that makes the hair on the back of necks stand up. With this in mind, if Melbourne trio Damn The Maps were chefs, they’d know a thing or two about contrasting sweet and sour.
Though you might not have heard of them before, Damn The Maps (previously Nervous Wreck) are one of those bands that have been at it for years, slowly but surely perfecting their craft via a steady touring schedule and string of releases. Something Is Askew, the follow-up to their 2008 debut Input Output, is an arresting collection of alternative rock that sways between moments of jerky prog grooves, sweeping ambient soundscapes, and jangly guitar pop. There’s the vitriolic slog against being a slave to the nine to five grind (Resignation), the quietly introspective moments that blossom into uplifting power pop (It’s Not Real), and the infectious dopamine-triggering hooks that tunnel into your brain (Somebody Went Overboard; Wrong).
Holding it all together is Martin Green’s impassioned croon – which could draw comparisons to Tool’s Maynard James Keenan or Sparta’s Jim Ward – and his cryptic lyrics that add layers to the dense atmospheres that linger throughout. If you’re looking for something fresh to sink your teeth into, consider this succulent second offering from a talented local trio.
BY JACK PILVEN
Best Track: It’s Not Real
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: BIFFY CLYRO, SPARTA, COG
In A Word: Delectable
