Light Skits' EP, Nooks & Crannies is an occasionally interesting but sometimes off-putting collection of songs for a debut (?) that puts a mathier, spazzier and overall looser spin on the current '90s noodle-emo revival.

"Nooks" starts out with flimsy acoustic picking until it finds its footing and begins to build a back-and-forth build of guitars-and then spazzy screams and yells suddenly rush in as a rhythmic fuzz crescendos (with a single, melodic sung line at the end). It doesn't make for much of a song, really. Then "Ice-9" comes in and it makes a little more sense, with dizzying finger-taps and a familiar, nimble math rock vibe, with "Interpolation" continuing that with high-pitched, yelp-y singing.

The EP gets a little better from there. "Crannies" might be the best track here, as it builds into an interesting tumble like Don Cab or a tempered Tera Melos, and the more developed moments of "Sanding Warmlings" feature a catchy-as-shit guitar part, followed by some more interlaced yelps in the company of bands like Snowing and Monument, albeit less effective. Punkier, jangled aggression gives some liveliness to "Yr Boi Gangster Hat", and it gets kinda fun as it goes on with layers of guitars. Closer "Admiral Hip=Hop" has this one riff that reminds me exactly of the commencement of No Age's "Teen Creeps".

Nooks & Crannies isn't AMAZING, but its fits of technicality and occasionally reckless approach gives it some respective talent and charm.

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Nooks & Crannies EP