Self-Evident - The Traveler Review compiled by: Alexandru Bergauer

Self-Evident - The Traveler Review compiled by: Alexandru Bergauer

The compilation album has a tendency to get a bad rep in the industry, usually because it functions as an assortment of odds-and-ends that often doesn�t paint a complete picture of any given band. Self-Evident�s latest release bucks that trend. �The Traveler� is actually a grab bag of older songs, a few new ones and two covers thrown in for good measure. But it is anything but scatterbrained. Instead, this rock band uses this opportunity to showcase their strengths through 8 songs which run the gamut from tightly-coiled math rock to more emotional and melodic post-rock. Best Math Rock

With a three member line-up composed of just bass, drums and guitar, Self-Evident seems to wring quite a bit using this fairly traditional set-up. Indeed, the band�s sound is based around establishing complex melodic interplay between the three members and harnessing their energy in tight, punchy songs that rarely stray past the 4 minute mark. Something similar to �Salvaged� starts off by showcasing Conrad Mach�s voice amid relaxed instrumentation, before Ben Johnston's drums hit and also the entire song pushes forward in the maelstrom of stop-and-start rhythms and complicated riffage. Meanwhile, �Drowned in Flames�, a long song here, is also perhaps one of the loveliest, with catchy guitar lines underpinning a hard-hitting drum pattern. Finally, something similar to �Swell� reveals the band�s softer side, with tender lyrics pining for a thing that seems to be just from the narrator�s reach.

What�s perhaps most remarkable is the place the band integrates the 2 songs that originally belonged with other artists. By paying tribute to Chicago�s Bear Claw ("Loaded Down with Static") and Oklahoma City�s Traindodge (�Drowned in Flames�), they open about some of their influences and interests in fellow rock bands. Self-Evident has developed quite a singular sound throughout their 18 years together, so even these tracks merge seamlessly with the other material on the album, while still honoring the originals these folks were based on. By including songs that have been recorded far apart from each other (both �A New Way� and �House� are fresh out of the oven, while something like �Time Capsule� dates back to 2004) this guitar rock band practically invites comparisons between newer and older material. However, such concerns are moot in the face of Self-Evident�s remarkable consistency. It is a band that knew the way it wanted to sound and it has worked hard to achieve that goal. Recorded at Mousetrap and Signaturetone Studios in Norman, OK and Minneapolis, MN, respectively, the album advantages of a crisp production that allows the songs to sound bright and clear.

The best math rock albums find a way to put a human touch on top of all that technicality. From Don Caballero�s �2� to Marnie Stern�s �In Coming of the Broken Arm�, this genre has produced its great number of bright artists desperate to explore the limits of guitar-based music. Unlike progressive rock for instance, which can sometimes give attention to complexity for complexity�s sake (math rock rarely features whatever could traditionally resemble �solos�) the nucleus of math rock involves melodic interplay, often between the rhythm section as well as the main guitar lines or riffs. Self-Evident has this down pat: they weave intricate patterns across varied keys and time signatures, with all the end result being math-rock of the highest order. You'll find their latest release, �The Traveler�, to get starting May 26th. Best Math Rock