The Brave Little Abacus: “Masked Dancers: Concern in So Many Things You Forget Where You Are” (Album Review)

Genres: Midwest Emo, Math Rock, Experimental Rock

        Masked Dancers: Concern in So Many Things You Forget Where You Are is an album that shocked me with how all the varying elements worked together to become part of one harmonious work of art. From the harsh, off-key vocals to the various Akira (1988) samples, each piece works together for the creation of a greater piece. The Brave Little Abacus created a sound for this album, and yet were not afraid to explore the different aspects of this sound. In doing so, they were able to make a three-dimensional album, full of much depth.

        Lyrically, Masked Dancers: Concern in So Many Things You Forget Where You Are focuses on the ideas of leaving home and moving forward past your youth. Seeing this progress and unfold across each track provides such a beautiful story. The opening song, “I See It Too.”, presents the start of this story, and the home is depicted as a place of familiarity and comfort. By the time the album finishes, the narrator is forced to move past the feelings of safety and has to accept his new reality. “It’s a Lot. It’s Seamless” is a bittersweet ending, with the narrator feeling nostalgic for his past, but in a position where he cannot return. This song in particular, is able to express emotions so powerfully and with much nuance. I can personally feel the sense of pain and conflicting feelings of desire and acceptance from Adam Demirjian’s vocals. The meaning behind each song is something that the listener has to search for, connecting the dots for themselves. This experience of learning and gathering interpretations inserts the listener into a similar position as the narrator, strengthening their personal connection to the album. The storytelling in Masked Dancers is beautifully written, and enhanced by this level of self-discovery.

        A major turn off for many who have listened to this album is the vocal performance by Adam Demirjian. As my mother said when she heard me listening to Masked Dancers, “Why is he singing like he doesn’t know how to sing?”. I can see how his scratchy, unfiltered vocals could detract from the album, but it only enhances its quality for me. The spirit of passion and rawness perfectly fits the nature of the album, and serves as a unique contrast to some of the cleaner harmonies of the instrumentation. At times, the vocal delivery can be a little irritating, but more often than not, it works in tandem with the album, adding to the narrative and creating a dynamic sound.

        The best aspect of Masked Dancers is the reason why I don’t see myself getting bored of this record any time soon. The instrumentation is phenomenal and never is anything less across all ten tracks. The guitar playing is energetic and spirited, and the percussion is a strong and steady backbone for each song. A song like “Waiting for Your Return, Like Running Backwards”, is barely over a minute long, but is still such a great listen, with a playful and fun instrumental. This provides a great start for and transition into the next song, “(Through Hallways)”.  The composition of every track is always entertaining to an incredible degree. “It’s a Lot. It’s Seamless” has a fast-paced and jumpy melody that is typical for the album, but creates an entirely different tone by being slowed down. It’s truly spectacular to hear the beauty of each instrument working in harmony.

        You would be hard pressed to find another album that sounds like Masked Dancers: Concern in So Many Things You Forget Where You Are. Creating a piece that is not only unique, but just feels unique, really gives it a sense of style and importance that stands out from others. This isn’t just flair either, as The Brave Little Abacus instilled powerful meaning into this record, which the listener can not just understand, but truly feel, as well. This is not an album for everybody, which plays a role in why this album works so fell. The Brave Abacus stuck to their vision, and maybe you can see it too.

Favorite Tracks: It's a Lot. It's Seamless, (Underground), "But I Won't Always Be on the Receiving End!", (Through Hallways), A Map of the Stars, Waiting for Your Return, Like Running Backwards

Least Favorites: I See It Too.

Enjoyment: High 9

Critically: Mid 9

Arbitrary Number: 9.5/10