INVENTIONS FOR THE NEW SEASON

My introduction to this group was a sampler CD that came with Explosions in the Sky's 2007 release. Maserati hasn't been terribly prolific since their founding in 2000, so I was rather annoyed that the album the song was from hadn't even been released yet, but I was really glad when it finally came out. It was worth the wait.

As I am just starting to get my head around the post-rock thing, I suppose that term describes this music the best. The album cover art probably describes the music better than I can in words. Musically I guess you can make comparisons to '70's Tangerine Dream stuff with guitars instead of keyboards, a little Pink Floydian too, a more guitar oriented Djam Karet, arrgh words really don't work to describe this music. It's just excellent guitar oriented progressive instrumental music.

At the risk of becoming hooked yourself, you can explore the band's website for samples. Fans of Explosions in the Sky should definitely check these guys out.

Post-Rock with a bit of a different flavor.

On this album, Maserati take your Explosions In The Sky brand of post-rock, darken it, and throw in a spacey psych sound that really gives them a rather unique voice. The album really has a great purposive, almost dance-like feel to it. This mostly occurs due to the album's strong throbbing bass presence. I often feel the bass is overlooked in many post-rock bands, and its great to hear it with a standout role in the genre.

Many complain that post-rock often sounds too samey. I think Maserati deal appropriately with that problem as I never get that feeling while listening, even if the band does pretty much stick with its formula throughout the album. I really enjoy this album and it's one of the finest I've heard from the year. There's nothing revolutionary here or incredibly different I suppose, but it's certainly enjoyable from beginning to end.

Putting the Rock in Post-Rock.

Maserati is one of my first post-rock discoveries of this year (if not my first). They aren't bringing anything new to the table with this release, but they do take a different approach in making their music. With the addition of Jerry Fuchs (member of !!! and Turing Machine) on drums the band took a more rhythmic formula on this album instead of the casual soft / loud dynamics and this is where Maserati shines.

The band's can be seen as somewhat minimalist in nature and that has to be thanks to Jerry Fuch's drumming. He reminds me alot to Can's drummer, Jaki Liebezeit, but in modern times. I like to think that he's the leading force in the band's music and it feels that way in songs like "Inventions" and "Show Me The Season". It's also nice to see post-rock bands using the drummer in equal value as the other instruments and it does make Maserati's sound rockier than your average guitar-dominated post-rock band. Maserati's sound is also in the borders of the space rock genre thanks to the echo effects of the guitars and the One-Of-These-Days bass lines. The minimalist aspect of their music also reminds me to that of Neu!, but slightly faster. The guitarists, Coley and Matt, are great at their punchy-yet-emotional guitar playing.

Personally I feel that the band has much more to offer. I often feel that they didn't tried hard enough in some of the songs on the album. The drumming is the best part of the album and it's the main thing that keeps me coming for more. The best songs on the album are easily "Show Me The Season" and "Inventions" with their rocky feel. I would've liked to see more of those type of songs in the album instead of songs like "Kalimera" or "Kalinihta" which sound more like leftovers (as sad is it may sound).

The band has potential, but they need a bit more focus. Great band to rock to, though.

Though their name may invoke thoughts of speed, or flair, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that this is good driving music, Maserati is actually a post-rock band in the vein of Explosions on the Sky, just with more vigor. The tempos, the riffs, the minimalistic approach - that's all the same. The difference between Maserati and the aforementioned post-rock giant, is in the arrangement. Explosions in the Sky are known for their lush atmospheres and loud/soft dynamics. Maserati's strength is in their rhythm. Keeping the tempos at a moderate pace for the most part, the drums lay down a punchy beat, and the bass is given a more prominent place in the mix, which allows for a more groove-driven backbone. In "Synchronicity IV," we are even treated to an auxiliary percussion addition to conclude the song. Then there is also "Show Me the Season," where they keep up a fast 12/8 beat for its 9-minutes while the guitars oscillate between distorted and clean segments. This is where the band sets themselves apart from their contemporaries. There is a seperate but equal treatment of the guitars, bass, and drums, if you will. There are still plenty of post-rock trademarks here - powerful climaxes, pretty guitars with delay effects, and the whole lot - but they band manages to do enough to avoid being part of an evergrowing snowball of run-of-the-mill post-rock bands. Imagine one of those snowballs that rolls down a mountain and gets continually bigger as it rolls down the hill and collects more snow, and then Maserati is standing (or snowboarding, even skiing if you prefer) on the side of it, a bit close, but not too close, as they watch the ball go past them. That is an impromptu metaphor of what is going on in post-rock these days, and where Maserati stands in all of it.

Maserati might be the post-rock band for those that don't particularly like post rock. Much of Maserati's broader appeal comes from the fact that they feature a much stronger and more upbeat rhythm section than your average post- rock band. Also, the guys in Maserati write really great melodies and arrangements for their thick textured psychedelic guitar sound. It also helps that their pacing is not quite as excruciatingly slow as other bands in their genre.

Although post-rock is a relatively new genre I can still hear a lot of rock music history in Maserati's music. Eno seems to be a big influence, as well as some people Eno worked with, especially Phil Manzenera and David Byrne. Some Maserati song sections are a dead ringer for late 70s Talking Heads with their interlocking minamalistic guitar riffs that become more hypnotic as they are fed through echo effects. Also there are some similarities to Steve Hillage's guitar driven techno rock in System 7, and Bill Laswell and Nicky Skopeletis' rock/world beat recordings in the late 80s and 90s. The Laswell similarity is due to Maserati's deep dub like bass sound which helps give the band more sonic power. In fact the deep bass and minamalist guitars also recall early PIL, but with way better production and no 'rotten' vocals.

Poised to be more than just post-rock, Maserati stands above the crowd and delivers very moving and emotional songs with the power of a heavy rock band and the deep sound of a psychedelic dub mix.

Many post-rock groups, in imitation of genre giants such as Godspeed You Black Emperor or Mogwai, tend to play very slow music. Not so Maserati, whose fast-paced guitar-driven post- rock with electronic space rock influences takes the genre in a fascinating new direction. Fast- paced, energetic, and with sufficient psychedelic touches to please any space rock fan, the album kind of resembles what would happen if Ozric Tentacles went post-rock; to that extent, I kind of see it as a counterpart of Hidria Spacefolk's Symetria, which approached a similar concept from roots in a space rock sound (as opposed to Maserati's roots in post-rock). It's a great little album which deserves the attention of a wider audience.

The second album from this band based in Athens, Georgia (USA) and the first I have heard in full, only hearing a few songs off of other albums. All instrumental and featuring the now deceased drummer Jerry Fuchs. Those who think post-rock can't actually rock need to hear this album. The music is generally upbeat with a steady rhythm section. Some post-punk, almost New Wave influences in the music, as well as a hint of psychedelia. No keyboards but sometimes the guitars play keyboard-like sounds. Recommended to those who want a little 'oomph!' in their post-rock.

There are two similar titled songs: the 4 minute "Kalimera" and the 2 minute "Kalinihta"; these are just guitar soundscapes but the former is more melodic and interesting. Another short track is "This Is A Sight We Had One Day From The High Mountain" which of course has the longest tile on the album. This track sounds very electronic and reminds me of some industrial music. "Inventions" is the longest track and it takes a while to get to where its going. But it's worth it. Fast picked guitars rise out of a staticy beginning. Another distorted guitar plays random chords here and there. Yet another guitar joins the fast picked guitar repeating a few notes; the music is becoming very hypnotic at this point.

The guitar playing gets more melodic as first the hi-hat and then the rest of the drumkit joins in. Eventually the band goes into a nice groove based on a 6 note bassline. Some of the guitars get more spacey and atmospheric at times while another guitar almost solos. Pretty much stays that way until the end. Great track. "12/16" opens with guitar-generated but keyboard-like soundscapes. Then it goes into a typical rhythm section oriented style of post-rock. Later sounds more post-punk/New Wave during the 'chorus' section (there is no choruses in instrumental music, but you get the idea). Ends on more of a 'alternative' rock kind of vibe.

I'm not sure if there is three previous installments of "Synchronicity IV" or not. This begins with a very indie/alternative style of guitar playing. The rhythm section is pretty simple and straight-forward at this point. Then it switches to some kind of Radiohead-meets-post-rock vibe. The music gets more intense as the musicians get louder and looser. Eventually the band calms down a bit and you hear some fast bongo playing. Nice touch. "Show Me The Season" is another longer track and is centered around a busy bassline. Between the fast bass playing and the hard drumming, this track apears to be more heavy than it is. The guitars are generally played in a more typical post-rock manner. The repetition and intense rhythm section makes this track grab your attention and won't let go. Whew!

"The World Outside" starts off in post-punk territory, gradually getting more atmospheric as it goes along. The drumming here really stands out. The other songs I have heard from them sound similar to the songs on this album...just not as good. They may or may not be a one trick pony, but Inventions For The New Season is a pony ride you won't forget. I'll give this 3.5 and round it up to 4 stars.