Harmonized Records

U-Melt’s third studio album, Perfect World, is a testament to the maturation of the Brooklyn-based, progressive groove syndicate. Here, the wild-eyed jamming of the quartet’s formative years comes neatly packaged alongside catchy melodies and multi-part harmonies that nurture a far more cerebral listening experience. And though the succinct rockers warrant praise – the afro-Caribbean “Pura Vida” is curiously infectious, and the title-track’s rich harmonies belie the quartet’s reputation for shaky vocals – it’s the instrumental opuses that truly earn this 10-track record its keep. But even as the acrobatic builds of “Question Matters” resolve to a celestial plateau punctuated by guitars gnawing to tear free – then ever-so delightfully doing so – one still can’t help but feel a tad bittersweet with guitarist Rob Salzer since calling it quits.