REVIEW: Maebe - Brain Paint

Breaking down all expectations of how math and prog-rock should sound together without a single word spoken on the record, Bristol-born MAEBE have continued to meld a multitude of genres into the sound of their new album Brain Paint, a trove of meticulously produced and experimental tracks that can’t be boxed into one description. Recorded across Bristol’s Humm Studio and band founder and leader Mike Astley-Brown’s bedroom, Brain Paint sees their return to the multi-genre magic following their 2023 album Rebirth. Relive. Repeat., not only putting them on the map for math/prog-rock fans but garnering praise for their innovation and individuality by multiple music outlets, particularly for recreating their complex studio sound in live time flawlessly. Brain Paint not only sees MAEBE refreshed return but sees them build on their previous success and take their sound to further heights than ever before.

Every note, beat, and instrument placement has been crafted precisely to create an experience unlike anything else, and it’s purely instruments - there are no vocals interrupting the intricate melodies, instead every track feels open to any and all interpretations and MAEBE are simply along on the trip with you as you rise with the cresting synths, consume the frenetic drive of the drums, and feel the force of the guitars as they war against rhythms and then sink into harmony. There’s no one way to enjoy this album and each listen will reveal more details in the composition.

Title and opening track Brain Paint has chaotic energy from the off with rapid-fire guitar licks and feedback blending into a more cohesive sound, the breakdown dropping away to a false sense of calm before all three guitars fight for control of the rhythm before banding together in synchronisation. Switching to a more post-hardcore, dangerous intro, Do Not Take Risks throws in a guitar riff that’s so damn catchy the whole track could be at home in an epic story-building videogame, the rolling synths adding a touch of nostalgia and the whole track turning into a heart-lifting melody. Combining math-rock with post-hardcore shouldn’t work, but lower case song title achieves this impressive feat, the bass line running from dramatic to understated as guitar licks and solos leap in and out at precise moments.

Sadstorm starts on a slower and (who could have guessed) slightly sadder note, the synths adding weight to the emotion, everything fading away to fuzzed echoes and a lone synth riff before gradually piecing back together in a hopeful melody that vibrates your blood cells. Ephemeral is the sort of song you have to lie down on the ground to truly appreciate it, both hopeful and hopeless and maintaining a recognisable rhythm throughout while the other instruments build in volume. A poignant almost grunge-rock welcomes you in on Young Lungs, practically the most “stripped back” track on the album, as it takes its time to build in momentum and heavy drums, the instruments suddenly stacking each other for a loud but emotive composition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8_Y5FT_9rc

Decidedly a math-core intro, Dripping Colour launches into a crispy drum roll before a guitar lick buzzes through, giving the song a feel of it being stuck in a past time you can’t quite pinpoint, the melody weaving from simplicity to complexity and feeding the nostalgia the whole time. God Wit kicks its way in with thundering, vibrating bass, snappy drums and a frenetic synth rhythm that’s echoed and elevated into something more on the guitars, bluntly dropping down into a shoegaze bridge for a moment only to punch back up again with high-pitched, fast-paced riffs and blistering drums. Echoing a tempo and genre change felt intermittently in the album, Downer has a grunge/shoegaze pace to it before introducing a simple bass line and contrasting guitar riffs that holds promise, a beat of silence before the song transforms into something intoxicating.

Auroraborus is the type of song that plays when the failing protagonist begins to believe in themself, the melody somewhat slow but still as powerful as ever as synths crest to a feeling of certainty that you’ll triumph whatever it is in your life, everything coming together in a dramatic, crescending meld. Our journey comes to a bitter end with Who Do You Think You Aren’t as distant guitars echo, suddenly coming in shockingly close and wavering for a moment before the bass and drums absolutely thunder in, twisting into post-hardcore and feeling like a final battle tune.

It’s an album that relies on the power of math and the skill of instruments, but listening through conjures your own lyrics and feelings and every turn will invoke a different experience and wave of emotion. It’s almost written like a film score that’s been designed to turn your life into a cinematic dreamscape you’ve been waiting for.

Score: 9/10

Brain Paint will be released on 22nd May 2026 via Ripcord Records.

Words: Julia Stark

Photos: Olly Curtis