WHAT? NAH: EP REVIEW

It’s out! The long awaited EP from math-rock newcomers What? Nah has finally been released. Already well-known on the Leeds music scene, the band released only two songs before they reached a one million listens on Spotify. After the almost overnight success of their single Camomile Sea, expectations have been high for their new release.

They’ve really taken their time creating this collection of sparkling jazz-infused math-rock pieces. It shows.

The first track, Matryoshka, sets the tone. Intricate and unexpected with their signature twinkling guitar and lounging sax melodies, drum and sax jive into the main chorus of the piece. Satisfying and mystifying in equal measure, they drop out with a deep plunking bass. Softly glorious electronics build as each instrument chimes into a peaceful union, echoing under the jungle stars on their front cover. 

The rest of the EP peacefully swings between speeding drums and languid guitar and bass, underpinned and directed by the wailing of their melancholic sax.

What? Nah have struck the balance between the unexpected joy of improvised jazz and the careful consideration of complex and calculated math-rock. The EP is named Scintilla -  “a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling.” A perfect and beautiful choice for this gentle, complex and effortless collection of pieces.

Check it out on our Spotify player below.

Interview coming soon…