San Diego Reader

This album is just one more reason why I'm convinced San Diego is some sort of afterlife. I mean, if it were up to me to choose the post-life house band, it would go something like this: a spastic drummer reminiscent of Danny Carey and Zach Hill, haunting Sunny Day(ish) vocals, absurd Don Caballero breakdowns with honking tapped riffs, 4/4 the exception, No Knife kicks it with Faraquet and Braid, good old-timey (like mid-’90s) math emo post-hardcore whatever-you-call-it.

Thus, Fever Sleeves.

Soft Pipes, Play On abounds with chin-scratching time signatures, rude volleys of percussion, alternately soaring and calculated guitar, and eerie dream vocals.

Bring forth your abacus and slide-rule, this mathy masterpiece accomplishes a rare balance of unpredictability and listenability.

Fever Sleeves recently dialed in their sound with the addition of Lain Weck (Marasol, Boyscout).

A new album is in the works.

Fans of Sleeping People, Q and Not U, Upsilon Acrux, Hot Snakes, and Cap'n Jazz, rejoice.

Free Casbah show on March 28 with Helen Earth Band, the Tall Ships, and Greg Gibson. Food by Lucha Libre.

• Album title: Soft Pipes, Play On (2010)
• Artist: Fever Sleeves
• Label: Unsigned
• Songs: (1) Vampyroteuthis, (2) Maximum Castles, (3) Cusack, (4) Futuristic Killings, (5) Soft Pipe Playoffs, (6) Hot Steel Heat, (7) Mangirlmonkeyhorse, (8) New News, (9) Grrraldo