The latest set from this Greensboro (N.C.) duo once again finds Hunter Allen and Adam Joyce crafting wiggy instrumentals with pithy titles. While no title will ever top "Are We Not Speedwagon?" from their Gleaning EP in 2011, I think the music has definitely moved forward.

The Bronzed Chorus Summering (Hello Sir)

Joyce plays the riffage and Allen plays Steven Drozd (drums and everything else). I'm not sure how this translates live (and yes, they do play live with some frequency), but the sound centers on rhythms and builds from there. I suppose that's not a surprise, but what does prick up the ears are the delicate elements that flit about the carnage.

The general progginess of the song construction gives some breathing space to those lighter elements. There is a mathiness to the sound, what with all of these colliding lines. But there's also a concerted effort to find melody and beauty, something that math doesn't always care much about.

This one will sneak up on you. The album is not inconspicuous as such, but most of these pieces start off in relatively mundane settings. It's where they go that is truly impressive.

Take a soak and let the Bronzed Chorus do the work. Your mind will thank you later. So much to love.

Jon Worley