Math nerds and music geeks alike gathered at Royale in Boston to welcome San Jose math rock band, Covet. Currently touring their new album, Catharsis, the band marked the tour’s halfway point with smiling, happy faces. It’s not a hyperbole to say it would be hard to find a happier band – there were few moments where somebody was not smiling on stage. The Catharsis tour marks the band’s second run with a new lineup of members.
Founded by guitarist/singer Yvette Young, the band has wiggled its way into a sweet spot of the math rock community. Young applies her background in piano to an unconventional approach of guitar playing, mixing finger picking and tapping parts to craft intricate melodies, harmonies and counterpoints – all from the same instrument. The genre of “math rock” comes from the use of complex time signatures and polyrhythms, which make it a dream come true for the neighborhood of Berklee College of Music.
The group graciously took the stage, clapping and praising the audience for taking the time to show out on a Wednesday evening. Young slings one of her specialty glitter guitars over her baseball jersey and takes in the crowd with sheer joy. The audience erupts when the band announces they will be playing the new record in full, with a couple classics and deep cuts mixed in. Young immediately kicks it off with the leading track “Coronal,” and the band seamlessly flows through the first few tracks of the album with style and grace.
After the first four songs, Young steps over to a keyboard for (aptly titled) “Interlude.” The brief track allows for a gentle breather in between some of the more dense, riff-heavy tracks the band is generally known for in the scene. Young takes her time with the song, letting each note linger and bleed into the next before they resume their play-through of the album. The paper lanterns donning each microphone stand danced on the stage with the band throughout the night, capping off an introspective and exciting evening in Boston’s Theater District.
Listen to Cover here!
Catch Covet on tour here!
