Some of math rock’s greatest band’s aren’t exceptionally loud or even technical – they’re just weird enough to keep people guessing, and every time we heard a teaser of Sunken State, the new record from New Orleans outfit Matron, we weren’t just constantly guessing, we were constantly surprised.
Not to say that Sunken State isn’t completely cohesive, because it is – it’s an beautifully down to earth journey through lower dynamics that, honestly, we should probably do more to appreciate.
Traditionally we’re kind of in favor of the loud ones, but Matron has us fully transfixed without blasting out our eardrums, and we have a feeling you’ll be just as submersed. Check out Sunken State on Bandcamp below:
“Proceed” and “Peak” in particular are great examples of how the band casually dances around a musical key, subtly augmenting and diminishing phrases on every instrument. It could almost be disorienting if it wasn’t so hypnotic, and a big part of this is just how expertly the bass and vocal parts play counter to the other rhythms. As these darkened yet jangly jazz cats create layers upon layers of intrigue, Laura Fishers’s voice makes for the perfect match, pulling melodies out of the air like a magician.
Literally the only complaint we have about Sunken State is that it should have been twice as long – Matron have struck gold with this slinking, bluesy sound that manages to remind us of Bent Knee and Imelda May at the same time.
(Thanks for reading! If you’re looking for more music, check out our Bandcamp compilations here. If you like us, or possibly even love us, donations are always appreciated at the Buy Me A Coffee page here, but if you’re in a generous mood you can also donate to folks like Doctors Without Borders, the PCRF, Charity Water, Kindness Ranch, One Tail at A Time, Canopy Cat Rescue, or Best Friends Animal Sanctuary that could probably use it more – click on their names above to check ‘em out if you’re so inclined. Thanks again!)