A lot of the math rock that I’ve grown used to pays homage to Minnesota’s own Partridge Family of shred, Tiny Moving Parts, in that the bouncy energy that radiates from the sweet noodling of these intricate riffs plays off an opulent if not saccharine shout that echoes through your head like a rubber ball bouncing off the walls of an empty room. Curse League does it a bit different; opting to trade-in those emotionally ripe shouts for something more subdued, and there’s a peacefulness to those vocals that creates a beautiful contrast from the sharp, staccato notes that bounce back at you with every listen.

“Finding Coyotes” roars awake with a voracious drumbeat and a riff so hectic and melodic that it’s bound to leave you in a dizzy spell, melted into the floor of whatever room you fall victim this level of mastery in. Lead vocalist Jake Campbell lulls over the first half of the track, effortlessly being carried through the first verse and into a change in tempo that sees the guitars get more bloodthirsty, the drums more driving, and the vocals at their most desperate. Campbell pushes through until his voice begins to crack, giving way to a musical tour de force of what Curse League is truly capable of: the kind of driving and emphatic math-rock that keeps you sweaty, anxious, and ready for whatever is bound to be thrown at you next.

You can stream “Finding Coyotes” below.

The members of Curse League also wanted to take a second to talk about the artwork for this stunning release, saying “You see, the album cover that you see on Bandcamp is only a tiny square of a massive piece of artwork (pictured below) that we made with a group of friends.”

They continue, “We gathered our friends together and instructed them to build little paper houses and glue them onto a larger backdrop set in the desert (the album takes place along the US/Mexico border, near Yuma) because one of the most important themes of our concept album is about finding a sense of community.”

Laying by the Fire in Good Company is out April 30th on Lost State Records and can be pre-ordered here.