Band: Stinkbug | Album: Between Timid and Timbuktu | Genre: Progressive rock | Year: 2025
From: Portland, (OR,) USA | Label: Independent
For fans of: Yes, Yezda Urfa, K’mono
Stinkbug is a prime example of why I like going to live music. I discovered them about five days ago (at time of writing) when I went to see Dust Mice perform. (Dust Mice is a Seattle-based space rock band very heavily influenced by Hawkwind, and I only discovered them when I went to go see Everything Oscillating play. And I only know about Everything Oscillating because they’re a Moon Letters side project, whom I first discovered opening for Pinkish Black. Support local live music, folks!) Stinkbug was the second band on the bill, and I was absolutely blown away.
Their sound is definitely rooted in a lot of classic progressive rock, and all four members have experience in jazz. Accordingly, there is a ton of speedy, technical playing and unconventional songwriting on their debut record, Between Timid and Timbuktu. They also add in heavier music, especially thrash metal and punk, but the sound is overall rather sunny and bright.
Sci-fi synthesizers and an energetic guitar line fade in on “Chronos” before launching into a soaring, majestic main theme. Bass, guitar, and synth all trade time in the spotlight as this piece rolls forward. The final minute slows things down for a moment before exploding forward. Flowing seamlessly out of that instrumental intro is “Me and Czubo”. Stinkbug deftly moves between high-energy, jittery passages and slower, more melodic moments. Vocalist Andy Treister reminds me a lot of Weird Al, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just something I noticed. This song features melodic and catchy verses with some understated backing balanced against soaring passages with walls of synthesizers. The final 90 seconds of this song sees the band engage in some fantastic proggy shredding. Bass especially gets a lot of time in the limelight.
“Up in Flames” slows things down considerably in its opening moments, but this reverie is soon broken by some aggressive guitarwork. The band’s strong ear for melody is again on full display in the chorus, and the verses reveal an underlying punk influence, albeit as one flavor among many. This song’s midsection lets the bandmembers show off some of their jazz chops, with electric piano and acoustic guitar each getting some attention. The conclusion to this song features their signature majesty, awash in synthesizers and distorted guitar.
“Stairwell” acts as a nice little acoustic palate cleanser before the noisy chaos of the opening moments of “In a Haze”. The verses to this piece are relatively straightforward, but there are lots of flourishes and auditory augmentations. Various keyboard inclusions and jazzy licks keep the listener’s attention. A fittingly hazy instrumental section lets bass and electric piano dreamily waft about while providing some flashy displays.
“Bird’s Nest” again dials down the intensity in its introduction. It eventually puts some pep in its step, but it remains a relaxed, sunny composition. Twangy keyboard tones and reggae-influenced guitar lines add some charming sonic diversity.
There’s a sense of gravity and import as “Hourglass” thunders open. Weighty walls of guitar and tumbling synth arpeggios give way to a stripped-back first verse where jazz flavors are again evident. The band effortlessly shifts to speedy, technical shredding, channeling punk and thrash metal influences. Throughout the rest of this long song, the band veers off on a number of instrumental excursions, folding in jazz and classical touches with their particular brand of prog. Entering the final two minutes of this song, the most obvious punk influences on the record emerge. This passage is energetic and melodic, and ample instrumental flourishes make this cut truly stand out.
Between Timid and Timbuktu ends on its nine-minute title track. There’s an anthemic quality to this song’s opening verse. A powerful rhythm and victorious-sounding guitar and synth lines. Entering the midsection of this epic, the rhythm momentarily becomes herky-jerky, and some touches of blues appear. Soon, though, a marching rhythm emerges, and there is a somber tone to this passage. Despite these wild shifts, everything fits together nicely, and nothing feels incoherent or out of place. The band really kicks up the eclecticism in the final two minutes, weaving together dashes of country, heavy metal, classic prog, and more into an intoxicating melange.
Stinkbug’s debut record is an exhilarating piece of music. The band sounds fresh and positively bursting with ideas. This was one of my most fun listens of the year.
Score: 91/100
The Elite Extremophile 