Some things take time to come into fruition. The time needs to be right. The feeling needs to be right. For Boston math rock band Sharpest, the right time was 2019. The trio have been sitting on their EP Kaizen since 2013. Adulthood was getting in the way. Jobs. Families. Other assorted burdens.
It was a shame, really. Sharpest’s sound cuts to the very fiber of what math rock is: unpredictable, impetuous, mercurial, vivacious. All familiarities are out the window, melodies are deliberately skinned and tangled, rhythms are truncated, song structures are warped. From their get-go in 2009, the trio have picked at the notions of rock music and deliberately warped them.
The proof is in the pudding with Kaizen. It’s a gentle but very imaginative musical ride, with intricate guitar phrases and odd-ball drum thumping. If you like poignant, low-to-the-ground math rock greats like Dilute and Pretend, then Kaizen may just be your record for 2019.
Kaizen is out on June 4th, but don’t let that stop you from making them spicy pre-orders. Head over to the Sharpest Bandcamp page