You and Me and Maps & Atlases

Well, I certainly hope that somebody enjoyed the last review. I figured that I would Describe the format of this blog a little more in depth.

Reviews every day:
I plan on reviewing an album of my choice daily. Why, you ask? In order to give my two cents on bands and music in general to hopefully influence people to have a listen to some good music.

Mixtape Mondays:
I will create a mixtape for the week, in addition to that days review.

Now, on to today's entertainment:

Album Review
Maps & Atlases


















You And Me And The Mountain

Chicago-based band Maps & Atlases have a sound which is very interesting. The incredibly intricate double-handed tapping technique sounds like something to be wary of, solely because of all the god-awful metal tapping. This band does not sound anything like that though; their sound is that of the most melodic and euphoric sounds I have ever come across. It makes me want more than what they have released (2 EPs and a full-length on the way).

The 5 song EP You And Me And The Mountain is a short journey into the immense, intensely happy journey which sounds like pure happiness to me. This EP shows significant growth from their first EP Trees, Swallows, Houses, and always leaves me in a state of pure happiness. The best track from a technicality point of view is "Ted Zancha" a jaunty tune in 12/8, showing off their ability to groove so well together, as well as showcasing Dave Davison's ability to not scream lyrics at the top of his lungs constantly. "Witch" carries with it some lovely additional percussion, and "Daily News" continues and elaborates on that idea. My personal favorite on this album has to be "Artichokes" Not only an interesting vegetable, but also probably one of the most addicting songs i have ever heard in my life; incidentally, when I saw M&A in March of this year, the finished up the night with this song, which left me in such a state that I didn't even mind that I had to walk home in the cold snow.

To conclude, You And Me And The Mountain is a showcase of this band's growth as a unit, and Dave Davison's ability to sing with a much cleaner tone. The only complaint I could have about this EP is that it's too short. It leaves one with a want to hear more and more. If you are a music junkie, this album will most definitely leave you with a necessity for more Maps & Atlases.

9/10