The title alone sets this imaginative EP apart from the crowd. The band’s name is appropriate – the music is brainy, left of centre, but also very listenable. From the brief intro it’s clear that much thought has gone into compositions that build and wind their way through many different movements. Jazzy solos slide in between melodic piano sections, rhythms chop and change with the sometimes mathy time signatures. Towards the end of track three ‘The Surface’ the band explodes with distorted riffs that hit hard beneath atmospheric keys. The song is clearly building towards something, but it’s still unexpected when it hits. Sections rarely repeat and never outstay their welcome. Track 5 ‘Cop a Bit of This One!’ features a lyrical and melodic solo that eventually shreds to a climactic conclusion. The stop-start riffs of final track ‘Smoot’ take the listener by surprise before jazzy keys and guitars draw you into the final run to the finish.

The Cortex Shift take jazz and progressive rock and blend them into something that transcends both genres. Their sound can be trippy, and there is an ethereal feel to the mellower sections of these tracks. The band has a fine grasp of dynamics and can get as heavy as anyone when the song requires it. Although the EP is divided into different tracks, the songs run together, and it feels like they couldn’t be sequenced any other way. The compositions themselves are excellent – there is much variety within the songs, and plenty of hooks and melodies sit in between the more abstract sections. This is an excellent release, and one that rewards repeated listens.