Extra Life

Extra Life sounds like a 14th-century monk fronting a high-precision math rock band in a Brooklyn basement. It is music of immense structural complexity and physical tension, defined by Charlie Looker's singular vocal delivery. His voice is a rich, vibrato-heavy baritone that utilizes melismatic phrasing usually reserved for ancient liturgy, floating over a bed of jagged, interlocking rhythms and sharp violin lines.

What makes them distinctive is the total lack of irony in their marriage of the ancient and the modern. While many experimental bands hide behind reverb or noise, Extra Life presents their music with a startlingly dry, 'close-up' production style. Every difficult time signature and every strained vocal note is laid bare, creating an atmosphere that is simultaneously intimate and intimidatingly formal. It is a sound that feels both prehistoric and futuristic.

Start with 'Secular Works' to hear the definitive blueprint of their sound. It captures the band at their most visceral, blending the heady abstraction of the New York avant-garde scene with a dark, melodic sensibility that rewards repeated, careful listening.