Band:	Them Moose Rush
Album:	Dancing Maze
Style:	Noise rock, Progressive rock
Release date:	June 19, 2020
A review by:	RaduP

01. Ray's Dancing Maze
02. Jeff's Transcending
03. Annie's Moles
04. Jerry's Bacon Flavored Vegan Potion
05. Jude's Got Another
06. Dolly's Wedding Song
07. Nigel's Food Falling
08. Sonny's Hidden Money
09. Yvonne's Getting On
10. Chris's Cake Crisis
11. Jake's Secret Algorithm

Is this what the sonic equivalent of an adrenaline rush sounds like?

The last time we left off with our Croats, I tried to clickbait some attention by pretending that Cedric Bixler-Zavala is in the band. He's not, but he is obviously a massive influence on this album, somewhere next to Mike Patton and Les Claypool. Basically Them Moose Rush continue that alternative/prog trend of sounding wacky and funky started by the likes of Mr. Bungle, The Mars Volta and Primus. Funny how if we think of alternative/prog blends lately, we're more likely to think of something more in the vein of melancholic stuff like Riverside, Katatonia and later era Porcupine Tree, meanwhile I could also name the already namedropped influences as the same blend, which should be a testament as how all encompassing both terms are.

And even if the folk element of Them Moose Rush is close to non-existent, I am only now starting to see some similarities with fellow Balkan(-ish) bands like Dubioza Kolektiv, S.A.R.S. or Zdob Si Zdub, if not completely in sound than in the jolly spirit. And about half of Them Moose Rush is just about the spirit, about how youthful, loud, whimsical and crazy they are. It's a blast to listen to. Like I said, it's the adrenaline rush, quite like the one you feel when you are with your friends and you're doing something that you know it's stupid and you shouldn't do it, but y'all do it anyway. Even if they were worse musicians, it would still be fun to listen to, the same way all those punks who can barely play two chords were fun. Thankfully, Them Moose Rush are great musicians.

Like its predecessor, Dancing Maze is funky, catchy and energetic, and it's not just due to their attitude. The rhythm section here is fantastically groovy, and a lot of the Primus influence is felt here (and also in the song titles, if "Jerry's Bacon Flavored Vegan Potion" didn't already make that obvious). The vocals are responsible for the music being so clingy to my ears, and although I still don't get as many earworms as I did with songs like "Radio Violence" or "Lethal Dose Of Pretty" from Don't Pick Your Noise, to Dancing Maze's defense, I listened to Don't Pick Your Noise like crazy. And it is the vocals mostly that warranted me comparing him to Cedric Bixler-Zavala. The album's narrative also follows a band through a maze, where obviously hilarity ensues.

So it all falls into place: great performances, whimsical humor, loud-quiet dynamics, great energy and a sound we don't really get enough of anymore. Even though it's hard to write about their music without namedropping their obvious influences, they do that sound so well that I really don't mind.