The bright, bombastic sound of up and coming shredder Knox Engler is sure to turn some heads this week. Washington, DC’s latest guitar-centric export dropped a video this week for “Revelation,” a flavorful cut from Compound Leaf, Engler’s newest EP.
The single shows off an ever-so-slightly jazz additive as well, an ingredient we know most of our readers are appreciative of. We’re not talking full-blown Pat Metheny or anything, but when you hear those descending seventh chords in the chorus, we think you’ll know what we mean. Check out the play-through below.
Knox Engler features drum parts performed by Avery Logan, whose loose, vaguely punk rock stylings help give the Compound Leaf an exciting edge not far removed from flagship math rock acts like standards and Floral. But Engler’s occasional dips into exotic passing tones that really stand out. Tracks like “Say When” and “Mass Driver Cannon” push things into shreddilicous overdrive yet keep things entirely sweet throughout.
There’s never really a dull moment throughout the EP. There are some vaguely bittersweet ones, some airy ones, but nothing that doesn’t get immediately swept away by some gutsy guitar flourish. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. The records is consistent, plays to it’s strengths, and leaves.
Compound leaves, get it?
We’ll be here all week, folks.
Compound Leaf is a pleasant trip, and we hope Knox Engler keeps pumping these things out! Check out Knox’s Bandcamp here for discography, merch, and more.