Maybe someone, somewhere in the mid-90s, had a feverish dream about the perfect musical concoction, and when they woke up all they could remember was the phrase, “you got your classic rock in my math rock!” And then maybe they carried that mantra with them through the years, like a glass slipper for all the bands in the world to try on, but nothing ever quite fit. The dream would have to wait a year, you said—and then another year passed, and another, until finally you’d just about given up. If you are that person with the undreamable dream, don’t wake up yet: your band is finally here, and its name is Black Taj.

Not long after the demise of the legendary math rock band Polvo, two of its members decided to try something new. In 1998 Black Taj started to come together, though its identity as a band has perhaps always been in danger; apparently learning nothing from the events that caused the Polvo breakup, Black Taj started life with its four members scattered across the country. North Carolina served as the unofficial home base, much like it did for Polvo, but because of the long distances between members playing together was tough. Finally, after years of occasional practices and a lost drummer, Black Taj finally put out an album in late 2005. And it is essentially summed up by the phrase, “you got your classic rock in my math rock!” No longer nearly so wilfully obtuse with guitar tunings or time signatures, Black Taj is probably an easier proposition than Polvo ever was. But listen closely and the rambling, acrobatic guitar passages still recall the sorts of tricks Polvo used to pull. For old Polvo fans who’ve all but given up on Ash Bowie ever doing another Libraness album, Black Taj should be right up your alley.