Maebe - Rebirth. Relive. Repeat. (2023)

Bristol instrumental post math-rockers MAEBE are set to release their second full-length Rebirth. Relive. Repeat. this Friday, bringing back their brand of deeply-layered prog in emphatic style. Three years on from the unveiling of their eponymous debut, this latest offering is sure to whet the appetite of genre fans. Having shared stages previously with the likes of ORCHARDS and BICURIOUS, the band are keen to make themselves heard from their corner of the Southwest and first impressions indicate that this release might just help them do that.

Feeling slightly more ambitious than their previous outing, the album kicks off with the elegant Hello, It’s Been A While, which eases us in with a twinkly post-rock guitar riff that gently gathers pace before bursting into life and leading us into the title track, which lifts the energy levels to the point where they are maintained for the majority of the album. Hooks take centre stage, and the guitars quickly begin to meander, thickly layered with distortion and dripping with atmosphere. The influence from their peers is immediately prominent, offering up the same kind of intricacies as the likes of COVET and even DANCE GAVIN DANCE.

50 Words For Bro is equally delicate, providing sliding guitars and weaving melodies that really allow us to close our eyes and ponder the images outlined by every note. Tracks like Harsh Realm have a slightly more traditional rock feel to them; the solos are allowed to soar, and the drums feel a little heavier. On the flipside, the cleverly titled Stay Together For The Cats (is that a BLINK-182 reference?) features a much more fragile touch, the drums here are tender and offer a soft backdrop to weeping guitars, at least before reaching an enigmatic crescendo. The only problem is that in places the record feels a little restricted. While far from ever becoming mundane, it does feel as though the band have played safe in certain sections, and it would be great to see the shackles come off. They’re clearly a talented outfit capable of pushing themselves further.

For the most part however, this album does a fantastic job of balancing itself. MAEBE seem to have the innate knack for knowing when to ease back and when to hit the gas. Although this isn’t the kind of album to rewrite the playbook and tear up trees – we’re not even sure it’s intended to – it certainly possesses the ability to engage and showcases the band as a talented collective. As the album concludes with Monolith, again a melange of organic sounding guitar work and drums are splattered across six minutes, and the last three minutes are probably the best the record has to offer. It feels as though in these final moments the band have finally let loose, and they sound all the better for it.