Reviews

So to find out that another five piece is coming on all spiky and shouty is neither surprising nor particularly exciting. Well, not until you actually hear The Maple State, that is.

The Maple State - Say, Scientist

‘Say, Scientist’ is a mini-album, yet manages to pack a much harder punch than plenty of debut long players you could mention - not least that of the aforementioned Polytechnic, who failed to live up to their early promise.

Thankfully, The Maple State don’t fall into the same trap. From the boisterous yelp and breakneck brilliance of the opening ‘We Swear By The Light Life’ to the closing weariness and dramatic surge of ‘You And Me And An X-Ray Machine’, the collection is a non-stop lesson in what it is to be vital and vibrant.

Between them, there are only highlights. Whether it is the brutally impassioned up of the rowdy and riotous ‘Starts With Dean Moriarty (Bad Sign)’ or the considered solitude and epic push of ‘Temperate Lives’, the six songs quite simply never hit a bum note.

As a result, ‘Say, Scientist’ is as furious a statement of intent as you’ll hear this year. Both epic and effervescent, The Maple State have announced themselves in the most short, sweet and spiky of ways.