Nakatomi Plaza - Unsettled

Nakatomi Plaza
Unsettled
Red Leader Records
Grade: A-

Nakatomi Plaza rips off its die hard face and unleashes a wall of intricate, high tempo post-punk that rivals any like-minded contingent. Building on post-punk foundations, the Brooklyn-based outfit incorporates a slaughtering of sounds to create the realization of Unsettled; indeed, an unsettled mess of sounds. NP periodically squirt crap-filled ventures, like the screamo-laden “Bang, Bang, Sing, Sing” and “Get Me My Meds,” but in most other circumstances the band channels a Mars Volta flow into such exquisite numbers like the opener “A Manifest Destiny Grows in Brooklyn,” “Not Hopeless,” the Boy Sets Fire-fueled “Calling All Cars,” “Red Room,” and guitar high notes meeting you on “Combustible/Jettison.” And to think that Nakatomi Plaza might have had difficulty in securing a deal and outlet for their adventures. If nothing else, the band is underplaced and should explode in a following by the end of this year. Look out for magic.