Flake by Nerd Salad: Review
From the instrumental “Indieprog” band Nerd Salad’s debut album Press Start, Flake is a highlight of the band’s technical mastery.
The song starts with a bright arpeggiated riff accompanied by sparkly hi-hats and soon grows to be a grand explosion of vivid melodies. With the bright fast, complex guitar melodies backed by equally fast hard hitting drums, the band throws in an unconventional psychedelic synth to create a soundscape that feels totally surreal. This mix of math rock with psychedelic sound is later met with abrupt time changes and change in keys that totally shifts the sonic dimension.
This shift in the sonic dimension is a recurring theme in this song that keeps the listeners guessing. If you’re hearing this song for the first time, there is no way you can predict the next part. Despite its unpredictable nature, the song is incredibly melodious full of catchy melodic hooks and loops. When taken apart, each of the instruments stand out brilliantly on their own. The shifts in the complex time signatures and hooks are done so effortlessly, it perfectly showcases the technicality of the band and the chemistry between the members. If you like Chon, Covet, Tera Melos, math rock, prog or instrumental music in general, this song is a must try!
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Photo credits: Nick Codina
Review by: Gabe Finch