Maps and Atlases - Trees, Swallows, Houses (Self-Released)

There’s no better feeling than discovering a new band – it can leave you giddy and proud and maybe even a little arrogant. When I heard Chicago’s Maps and Atlases, I admit that I felt a little bit of the first two. Falling somewhere between the spastic complexities of Hella and the poppier sensibilities of Minus the Bear, Maps and Atlases work in fits and bursts, alternating between complex guitar chaos and more subdued moments of beautiful melody. The interaction between these elements is certainly what drives the album and what propels the songs themselves. But in my mind, that isn’t what makes the album so exciting. That belongs to the band’s amazing sense of control, which harnesses their complex, break-neck rhythms into captivating and dynamic pop songs. “Every Place Is A House” shines with this, shifting between raspy, anthemic shouts and dense instrumentation. If you want my advice, I would start looking high and low for this album; Maps and Atlases won’t stay unsigned for long.

– Miles Clements