London based three-piece Nitkowski have already made a foray into the realms of what can best be describe as avant garde math-rock blended into hardcore through their debut album Chauffeurs which was released in 2009. Two years later, Nitkowski have released their second album Stay in the Home you Love. Arguably the formula that worked for Nitkowski on Chauffeurs is replicated on Stay in the Home you Love, albeit there is additional subtly to the music and it draws a lot on jazz influences.

For those unaccustomed with Nitkowski, then this is really going to be one of those marmite bands. Musically there is some really challenging sounds being created here, however, vocally be prepared for the sound of someone who sounds like they’ve been chained to the far end of the studio and asked to liberally shout in the direction of the microphone. There are plenty of tracks on Stay in the Home you Love which would be enjoyable as vocal free offerings, with the music standing its ground and the vocals being more of an irritant to the creative whole. However, some may take a less critical view of proceedings, but isn’t that the ultimate joy of music, there is no definitive line which we all have to follow.

Crisp Crisp Sheets and Bright Bright Sunshine is typically composed Nitkowski piece, beginning with the chord of guitar combined with short drum burst, there’s a burst of guitar alternating between the ears in a discordant motion, before the rapier drums and guitars open out into the vocals, which as commented earlier are muffled strains of anguished shouts, as though an enraged caged animal is present in the studio.

Competent Adults is all pizzicato guitar notes, with off kilter jazz influenced fuses of instruments that drags the piece in a linear if slightly frenetic pattern of angular shapes of musical notion. The Prime of RV Life is similarly reflected in the style offered through Competent Adults, only in The Prime of RV Life the pizzicato guitar adds a real solo moment of excellence.

For those wanting more of those jazz influences then Strike the Last Flare should satisfy that need, as a lonesome horn hunts in between the interspaced guitars and regular off beat drum. As Strike the Last Flare progresses the guitar take up the horns lament and freewheel away before the vocals emerge, battling for recognition as everything freefalls back to the lamenting horn.

The relentless rhythm of Pall Flag for the Bunting Tosser, the space like noises, the jangle of key like bells, is not only hauntingly hypnotic, but hints at some mass ball of alien sound that is growing and gnawing away at the corners of the track, before leading into Shut Up and Swallow, the latter track ably demonstrating that you are unlikely to be hearing peaceful lullabies in anything offered by Nitkowski.

Nitkowski do offer interesting moments of fused notions, that demonstrate a complex awareness of differing styles of music and their ability to juxtapose these styles should be warmly welcomed. However, there is a joylessness to Stay in the Home you Love, it is a bleak and cheerless album, which will appeal to those who already loved the work of Nitkowski. For others moments of varied, clearer, louder vocals may be preferential, but that isn’t what Nitkowski offer and if that’s what you want from your music then look elsewhere.

Reviewed by Jimbo Walsh.

Nitkowski's album Stay in the Home You Love is available now from Amazon.