I must confess that before being given this to review, I didn’t know of Maps & Atlases. Having listened to their new album “Beware and Be Grateful” I’m still not sure I know them. Getting to grips with them is a tough grind but wonderful, nonetheless.

The band formed in 2004 at art school in Chicago and in that time they’ve grooved their way from being a pure math rock/post rock band to making beautiful pop music but based on the old math-rock principles of signature time changes. We’ll call it Math-pop.

The record begins with “Old And Gray”, a six minute affair that doesn’t exactly blow the doors off of the house that is “Beware and Be Grateful”, but tiptoes gently in and makes a nice cup of tea. It’s clever. It knows it doesn’t need to be route one. It will sit waiting for you in the living room, until you come to and will assassinate you there and then. It’s pop Jim, but not as we know it!

“Fever” moves towards more straightforward pop music and “Winter” is very much in the same vein. Both songs have a million things going on behind the music in the way of vocals and music. It’s all incredibly well arranged – a beautiful layering of the music and backed up by soft electronic beats. On “Remote and Dark Years” Dave Davison’s lush baritone vocal has more than a tilt towards Paul Simon and the song has a lot in common with his African moments.

Throughout the record you can hear morsels of the influences behind the record – all sorts. From Vampire Weekend to Paul Simon to Secret Machines to Joeyfat but built around those math-rock principles. It’s a stunning mix but it’s a mix that needs to be played in the order it was made – no skipping, no shuffle etc. I don’t they Maps & Atlases have quite realised that the internet has rendered the album superfluous but their ignorance is our gain – a finer collection of songs you’ll struggle to find all year.

“Beware and Be Grateful” is released 17th April 2012. They tour the UK from 16th – 20th April.