In math rock, one of the most important things you can do is develop your own sound to stand out from the crowd. Sonic diversity is important in any genre really, but right now, we can almost guarantee that there really isn’t a band out there that sounds like New York’s Antinomie.
When the band was first announced, we couldn’t help but predict a somewhat idiosyncratic nature, mostly because we’re familiar with drummer Danny Sher’s chaotic jazz project Horse Torso and couldn’t imagine him playing something terribly straight-laced. We were technically correct in this assumption, but rest assured, Antinomie is a different kind of animal altogether.
Pareidolia, the band’s debut, starts off with “Adumbration,” a subtle fire starter that blurs the lines between dreary emo confessions and hellish jazz projections as guitarist/vocalist Jack Lynch spins a bizarre web of nostalgia and regret. It’s as endearing as it harrowing – check it out below:
As you can tell, Lynch’s theatric, chameleonic vocals bring a truly strange, but not unwelcoming vibe to the party no matter what kind of story the band is telling, placing him somewhere between Nick Cave, Noel Fielding, and black midi‘s Geordie Greep. Lynch also hardly slouches when it comes to his hybrid guitar-bass instrument… thing. Songs like “Brash,” “Exult,” and “Retrogress” have warm, low-end glow to them, whereas “Oppugn” and “Integument” break into high frequency Hella-style jangles.
There’s also the utter nonsense of “Tirade,” a terrifying narrative of some kind of motorbike accident, complete with clown music and an ambient drum break. Honestly, none of the songs have just one scene, so don’t take our word for it. Take the whole trip and pick it up here. It’s absolutely worth it.
Pareidola is, in itself, a wonderful album and incredible debut. It’s insanely diverse, filled with dense, creative moments that create real magnetism for weirdos everywhere. Antinomie are unapologetically themselves, and with results like these, they’re likely to stay on radars everywhere for years to come.