As the album title suggests, Brain Paint is abundant with endless colour. It’s a glowing combination of prog and post-rock, leaving you humming its instrumentals non-stop. Launching at light speed with the title track like And So I Watch You From Afar with a cape on and a rocket strapped to its back, Maebe deliver a hook to ensnare you immediately before a short, tense build soon lifts off into a carnival of guitars driven by the surging drums of Nicholas Appelgren. Three guitars mean thrice the fun as the album’s grandiose entrance is a flag firmly planted in optimistic ground, as ‘lower case song title’ sees all three perform a glittering math rock routine which culminates in a post-rock firework display with each layer more glorious than the last until it ends in an instant.
As proved here, Maebe are one of the most dynamic entries in the UK’s thriving instrumental music scene, as their elegant combination forms a marriage of vigorous life. Every riff ricocheting off the synapse walls to create a fresh rush of light is a welcome departure from the more prominent themes of ominous melancholy and catharsis in the genre. Its theatrical mood is infectious, and its slower moments in ‘Young Lungs’ don’t feel dour and feel capable of taking off into Brain Paint numerous fiery impulses. It has the bounce of classic Alpha Male Tea Party in its bones, so the mix being handled by Tom Peters feels heaven-sent. The masters being handled by Stephen Kerrison mean this is another album crafted by the duo alongside Bicurious and The Last Vinci.
Their crowning moments are when the guitars are soaring at their most bombastic, and ‘God Wit’ certainly is the track to sum up the DNA of the album’s off-kilter, untethered prog math. Bright and rich noodling beneath crashing symbols is where Maebe are at their most vibrant. Album closer ‘Who Do You Think You Aren’t’ is a boss battle soundtrack from the most over-the-top JRPG, a riff battle between all three guitars swirling and vying for centre stage, which results in the album’s heaviest and groove-laden assaults.
Evolving from guitarist Michael Astley-Brown’s bedroom project to drawing plaudits from all corners of the prog and alternative sphere, this version of Maebe has grown legs in unexpected ways with a number of shows around the UK from late May to early August, which conclude with a spot at this year’s Radar Festival in Manchester. Alongside prog royalty in Animals as Leaders and Protest The Hero, Brain Paint will be on proud display for every new ear that will not regret catching them. Maebe endured the painstaking process of recording everything fully live to preserve the intense energy which now sits at the heart of their identity. Their ambition is justified as Brain Paint is a jolt to any tired mind. This music is not for the background but for stages across continents where sparks are sure to fly.