It’s no secret that Bengaluru loves its music to be as experimental as it gets. So what do you get when you mix jazz, electronic music, ambient passages and rock? The answer is Stuck in November. What originally started out as a post-rock band is now an instrumental math rock band, if you want to pick an easy category. Their long-awaited new EP is called First Slice of Cake, a hint towards just what you can expect the trio comprising Mayur Nanda, Nihal Anand and Nihaal Joseph.
There’s a clear flourish of jazz influences amidst the trio, straight from the unpredictable drumming
to the polyrhythmic, intricate guitar work that almost sounds like the equivalent of a scribble. They start out with a bit of everything on their opening track ‘Full Power’ and build up more steadily on the somewhat sardonically titled ‘Congratulations on your Happiness’, choosing the delay + reverb combination. They mess around a bit more on ‘Birthdays’, which has strains of the math rock signature of changing tempos and ear-catching drum fills over a guitar line that familiarises itself with you soon.
‘Strongs’ remains the one that sticks in you more than others, for this lush soundscape crafted out of these same elements, except punctuated with voice samples and guitars that are nearly hypnotic.
The use of electronic elements shines through in the layers a bit more on this song, but they prefer to keep it all guitars-bass-drums on the closing track ‘Polyrhythmic Synth Jazz Simulation’, a reference to a line from the animated show Bob’s Burgers. Math rock, as suggested by the voice sample on ‘Polyrhythmic…’ is not something people can dance to, but it’s certainly got a whole lot of groove and so many details that will keep your mind occupied for several repeat listens.
