Stuck In November – First Slice Of Cake (2016)

From the busy fingers of Nihal Anand (Deadstar) comes a stellar example of what India has to offer the math rock scene: Stuck In November‘s First Slice Of Cake. Recorded in Bangalore and mastered by Will Cook of rising up-and-comers Classically Handsome Brutes, this five track debut has given us all a bit of solace that math rock is a long way from burning out.

The key strength of First Slice Of Cake is essentially the same as what made Floral‘s second EP so popular last year: it fully experiments with and explores the spectrum of major chord phrases. In doing this, the band are able to bring to life so many different emotions and moods. Stuck In November have tacit awareness of the overtly technical arena they have entered (be sure to listen out for a soundbite from a Bob’s Burgers episode: “Poly-rhythmic synth jazz! No one can dance to that!“), but unlike many of their contemporaries, there is thoughtfulness and brain work weaved into the technical compositions they bear for the listener.

They may be rather geographically isolated, but India’s Stuck In November have refined a cerebral and technical sound that can compete with the current heavyweights. For lovers of heavyweights such as Floral and CHON, First Slice Of Cake is an essentially flawless math rock debut that you need to get your ears around. Fast.