Vasa

With Battles looping four new tracks from their forthcoming LP online for the next day or so, it’s a good time to bring chaotic math-rock back in to the limelight, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more emphatic, triumphant (re)arrival than ‘Fat Ronaldo‘, the blistering new track from Vasa which arrives today alongside news of their debut album, Colours, which will be released on October 16th.

We’ll allow you to draw your own conclusions on that track title (best footballer of our generation? you better believe it) but in terms of substance the Glasgow quartet deliver an almost immeasurable amount of power and prowess here. Flying through it’s five-and-a-half tumultuous minutes, the track manages to feel both captivatingly expansive and brilliantly immediate; a thunderous, exploratory and, at times, beautiful concoction of dark and light.

The band play Mugstock, ArcTanGent and Carefully Planned Festival over the coming months, ahead of the full release of the Colours LP this Autumn, but you can check out ‘Fat Ronaldo‘ exclusively below right now. - Tom Johnson

When it comes to new releases there are two that really stand out: 'Not A Cop' by Vasa combines shades of And So I Watch You From Afar and Mogwai, while spine-tingling second A-side 'Something Awful' possesses the harsh and gritty catchiness of 'All Roads to Fault" era yourcodenameis:milo. Its melodic lead parts wouldn't be out of place in a Pixies track and its atmospheric wall of sound is evocative of early emanations from The Verve. Vasa are really shaping up into something, and is post-rock's your thing, this is unmissable. - Alex Lynham

ROCK

READERS who have been following The National’s weekly music column may have noticed we’re using the term “math rock”.

Gig nights by Scottish promoters have helped to raise the profile of the small scene over the past couple of years.

Vasa bassist John Niblock’s own venture Taribo West is particularly responsible for giving various international unorthodox rock acts a platform in Scotland. However, it is his own band that are turning heads.

The new single Fat Ronaldo is an incredible signal of intent from the Glasgow instrumental quartet, and their most expansive piece of work yet. The powerful guitar lines and huge dynamic shifts mean that their influences – most notably Belfast rockers And So I Watch You From Afar – are easily identifiable, but Vasa are more bipolar in mood and direction. - Jonathan Rimmer