Postman Syndrome

This Jersey outfit is a curious little unit, as they dip their fingers into a wide breadth of sonic influence, from art and prog rock, both vintage and new (read, lots of Radiohead, Tortoise and Rush), to noisecore, bed-headed college/indie rock and of course, the ubiquitous chug of metal and the endearing melodies of punk and hardcore. They trade-off vocals like kids trading hockey cards, but as each member who dares take up the mic can actually sing, the voice interplay flows super-smoothly, like Ebola through a peasant drinking river water. The 12 songs here aren't hastily slung together, as is the wont of many bands these days, but rather are meticulously composed with the intricacies of three guitars accounted for, plus the melodic bass wanderings are given space to wander. What I found most impressive is how often the drum work dominates the feel of any particular track, bounding between a variety of tempos and patterns while the stringed instruments and voices hold down the fort. In a word, astonishing.