Hailing from Boston, MA, Not The Village are not exactly free of cliches typically found in math rock, but the aspects of their music that do bring something new to the table have never failed to peak my interest. Their sound lies somewhere in the middle ground between the wackiness of Tera Melos and the clear-cut precision of Don Caballero, and their debut, "House Goose," is one of my favorite examples of their genre. While "We Will Sleep In Bed" is well produced, consistent, and overall a worthwhile listening experience, I feel it lacks a certain element of originality that made their previous release something special.
The EP opens up with "just a plain snake," a track full of clever rhythmic breaks that are sure to keep listeners on their toes. The tapping-heavy guitar riffs used throughout the song are sure to impress seasoned musicians with their technicality, as well as anyone who's just looking for a good melody. This leads into "babaga," one of the more disorienting tracks NTV has put together. Right out of the gate, listeners are greeted with a rapid barrage of notes being played in what some may consider an "awkward" time signature, for a full minute of the barely-four minute track. However, since it is so short overall, its eclectic nature isn't terribly overwhelming. In fact, it's pretty entertaining and really makes you focus on the music, but sometimes you just have to call out excess when you see it.
The third song, "a bicycle and a car" sounds like it was lifted directly from a Toe album. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just means out of the four tracks, I found this one to be the most cliche. The auxiliary percussion and bells that come in about halfway through were a nice touch, but overall, the track just didn't grab my attention. Finally, the EP transitions into its closer, "nosecon." This is an upbeat palette cleanser of sorts from the previous track, possessing more original aspects reminiscent of "House Goose" that reflect NTV's creative attitude that sets them apart from the rest of the herd, especially during the outro. Despite some pretty standard-sounding math rock guitar tones, this track undoubtedly serves as a triumphant, driving finale not only to the release as a whole, but also the band's existence.
Basically, although there's no denying "We Will Sleep In Bed" is well made and that Not The Village were still crafting good songs up to their disbandment, it just sounds like they played it safer with this one than with their older work. If you're a dedicated math rock fanatic, then this EP is definitely for you, but if you're looking for something a bit more adventurous within the genre, I'd recommend sticking to their first EP.
Favorite Track: "nosecon"
