Best of Math Rock 2021 - CTEBCM: Can This Even Be Called Music?

Math rock is usually characterized by odd-time signatures, but through the years it came to encompass a lot more than that. Now, you can find straight-up alt-rock bands under the math rock tag, and even though I used to be a valiant gatekeeper of the genre, these days are passed. I now fully embrace all kinds of math rock music, be they super rhythmically engaging, or only remotely belonging into math rock territory. I hope you’ll feel the same way as I do about these following albums.

Number Five: 水中スピカ – mEq

There always seems to be a new Japanese math-ish rock band coming out, these days, but let me introduce you to one you probably don’t know (unless you’ve already read my review of the album, that is… 水中スピカ (Suichū supika) has released a fantastic debut (?) album earlier this year, and even though it’s nothing we haven’t heard already from the likes of Tricot, Elephant Gym, and Jyocho, it’s well made and deserves the spotlight, so get a copy!

Number Four: Delta Sleep – Spring Island

Yeah… it’s great. There, I said it! I try to keep silent about more widely-known b(r)ands throughout the year, in favour of the lesser-known kind, but I’ve got to give credit where credit is due, and the end of the year is the perfect time for that! Spring Island is great, but you already know that, right?

Number Three: Sam Birchall – Cosmos and Disaster

Sam Birchall’s guitar-focused album totally axed me when it first came out, and now that I go back to it to write this, the feeling’s the same! I love the crystal-clear yet slightly overdriven sound he’s going for, and the guy’s clearly got the chops for it! Definitely one of the more technical math rock albums from this year, and it slays!

Number Two: Paper Mice – 1-800-Mondays

Paper Mice are at the juxtaposition of math rock, noise rock, and hardcore, which makes for a pretty cool, unique sound! On 1-800-Mondays, you get all the weird riffs and melodies you want, with a surprising range of dynamics, from soft staccati to harsh blasts of distortion, back to a swell of strings, and to intentionally dissonant chords. Everything is tied up very neatly, and it’s a very fun listen!

Number One: Naia Izumi – A Residency in the Los Angeles Area

This album is a straight-up descendent of twinkly emo mixed up with R&B and electro-pop. The result is a soulful album that throws banger after banger at you and in which you can contemplate the guitar prowesses of Naia (and his vocal ones too). There still are those sought-after odd-times, but they’re not at the forefront, rather being used as a compositional tool (as they should be!), which further reinforces my feelings that this album is genuinely the best.

Notable Releases

Hover over foreign scripts for pronunciation and romanization.

Friday, 19 February

Blessed – Ⅲ

20:52
math rock
Vancouver, British Columbia
Flemish Eye

Number Five: 水中スピカ – mEq

Number Four: Delta Sleep – Spring Island

Number Three: Sam Birchall – Cosmos and Disaster

Number Two: Paper Mice – 1-800-Mondays

Number One: Naia Izumi – A Residency in the Los Angeles Area

Notable Releases

Friday, 19 February

Blessed – Ⅲ

Monday, 22 February

Qulague – COQ

Friday, 9 April

水中スピカ – mEq

Wednesday, 28

Glass Noose – The Migration

Friday, 30 April

3223 – Voyage

Thursday, 6 May

Eight Carl – Ouch

Friday, 7

Paper Mice – 1-800-Mondays

Friday, 14 May

Sam Birchall – Cosmos and Disaster

Thursday, 1 July

Jack Binkerd – Mockingbird

Thursday, 15

Humidor – Humidor (Sprinting Men)

Friday, 16

Painted Worlds – You’ve Been through a Lot, but You’re Beautiful

Friday, 30 July

Naia Izumi – A Residency in the Los Angeles Area

Tuesday, 31 August

Molino – Molino

Sunday, 5 September

アルネ – 遡行

Friday, 24 September

Standards – Yum!

Friday, 15 October

Codices – Vivid

Sunday, 31 October

Talismanic – Connectivity

Friday, 12 November

Delta Sleep – Spring Island

Wednesday, 1 December

Ground Patrol – Migrations

Wednesday, 15

トリコ – 上出来

On a Tree – Future Samba

Best of 2021

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