Truly, what world do we live in where Angine de Poitrine, of all bands, are seeing widespread commercial success? The response this Canadian duo have garnered in the past few months is a true grassroots campaign, born out of the people’s desire for something fresh and exciting out of their music: somehow, someway, that desire has presented an opportunity for microtonal math rock to make its way into the limelight. Angine de Poitrine’s ‘Vol.II’ is releasing at just the right time to ride that wave of hype— it certainly stands out, though not always for the right reasons.

The duo’s second record very much falls in line with their first (not that a band who go by the names ‘Klek’ and ‘Khn’ could really do much to pivot towards radio rock). ‘Vol.II’ is a dizzying collection of microtonal jams, defying conventional song structures at every turn— in all honesty, these tracks almost feel confined when presented as a studio recording, as their free-flowing nature seems intentionally designed to be twisted and played with live. You have to give credit where it’s due: Angine de Poitrine are not paying mere lip service to the unconventional trappings they employ, but inject weirdness and wackiness into every aspect of their work. The inescapable emphasis on chromaticism that defines ‘Sarniezz,’ for instance, is integral to the funky groove at the song’s sore, and words like ‘funky’ and ‘groovy’ are very much earned. For all their eye-catchy costumes and odd antics, the band prove themselves to be confident and skilful musicians, with just enough cojones to pull off this unique brand of math rock— just look at the multitude of time signatures changes and percussive switch-ups on ‘Fabienk.’

Oddly enough though, the record does feel somewhat stagnant, and not just because Angine de Poitrine’s sound hasn’t evolved much since ‘Vol.I’ in 2024. On album closer ‘Angor’ especially, which is probably the most straightforward cut here, you can almost see the alien duo scratching their oversized heads as to where they can take this unique sound of theirs: in attempting to make something accessible and digestible out of microtonal music, the band are forced into some very specific lanes, and the results within aren’t always winners. The first half of ‘Utzp’ is so overly chipper and lighthearted as to become almost grating, becoming as plastic and unwavering as the drummer’s smile— it can be hard to know where the japes end with this group, and oftentimes, the bit goes on just a little too long. Angine de Poitrine do very little to dress up these six elaborate jams, with even the production of ‘Vol.II’ sounding needlessly half-baked and bright: the entire appeal rests on the energy and pizzazz of our two central performers, and it must be said that after 36-minutes of microtonal madness, the record grows rather tiresome.

It’s when Klek and Khn lock into a tight looper pedal-backed groove that things really come together for ‘Vol. II,’ and the album isn’t exactly lacking for mind-bending instrumentals. Though ‘Utzp’ may not open on its strongest material, the rip-roaring explosion it launches into halfway through more than makes up for it: it’s really quite an electrifying showcase, full of unconventional melodies and racing drum beats that all manage to come together by the end. Angine de Poitrine’s music is absolutely meant to be felt rather than dissected, and the winding riffs of ‘Yor Zarad’ make that abundantly clear— in another context, those endlessly repeating guitar phrases could’ve fit into the TOOL discography, but the way they’re presented here (in a much more cartoonish light) makes for a fairly thrilling experience. Honestly, these six tracks go a long way towards explaining why, or how, this duo have blown up out of nowhere this year: Angine de Poitrine can lay down a math rock groove other outfits would kill for.

It’s hard to say whether this particular style of microtonal music has the legs to remain this popular, or if ‘Vol.II’ will be the peak of success for this Canadian export: you can already start to hear the band writing themselves into a corner with some of this material, and at times, you genuinely have to start questioning whether the loose guitar work and extreme dissonance of ‘Sarniezz’ actually sounds good at all. Angine de Poitrine are a band of the moment, and that’s a special thing in-and-of itself— this isn't an album we can see ourselves going back to though.