I have often said that one of my favorite things is finding music that defies category, coming up with a distinctive sound with unexpected mixtures of influences, especially in the context of more conventional instrumentation. This week we have notable example. It’s a new recording by the band North of Tomorrow, whose new release is called Intangible Lines.

North of Tomorrow consists of three middle-aged guys from Phoenix, who according to their biography have been playing together for decades, starting as teenagers. Brian Mueller, Gary Adrian and Stephen Rogers were in a band called Talus, touring the Western US for about five years before they went their separate ways. But a few years ago decided to get together again and apply their creativity to new music. Intangible Lines is their fourth album as North of Tomorrow. Their sound is a fascinating and quirky blend of art rock, what I suppose could be called semi-acoustic techno, featuring compositions and arrangements than often suddenly change direction. The three core members bring in a variety of guest musicians, including an Italian drummer for several of the tracks, some strings, and backing vocalists who can sometimes provide an ethereal quality, while the rhythm can at times be described as “nervous.”

The techno aspect comes from the keyboard sound and rhythmic loops often used by Brian Mueller, who is also the lead vocalist, but with conventional drums playing the techno-style rapid-fire beats by Italian drummer Maurizio Antonini, and some other drummers, depending on the track. Occasionally there’s an implied mechanical quality to the music, but just when you think it’s going to be stuck in the groove, the tune may suddenly veer off with a very different sonic quality, though with the tempo maintained. Lyrically, the album covers a number of different topics, including some from the standpoint of someone in middle age.

The generous nearly-hour-long, 12-track album opens with a song about that topic, Time Flies, about meeting up with someone one knew years ago. The musical context is immediately distinctive with the driving beat and electronic sonic quality, while drummer Maurizio Antonini does some creative things texturally. <<>>

Keeping the same beat is a track called Maybe Yes, about talking perhaps idly about making travel plans. <<>>

Big Wide World is one of those songs with the abrupt transitions, from techno to art-rock and fusion, with Mueller shredding on guitar. <<>>

With a different musical direction, though also with the strong beat, is a piece called St. St. [Saint Street], featuring a couple of cellos once the tune goes off on one of its tangents. <<>>

By contrast, one of the most stylistically conventional tunes, called Wanted to Say Something really stands out with its bluesy quality. <<>>

That is followed by one of the more eclectic tracks on this already quirky album, called Let’s Just Get To It, with an even more mechanized-sounding quality. <<>>

The album features two instrumentals, including one called You Were Saying which jumps between an almost heavy metal sound and moments of jazziness with the electric piano sound. <<>>

The closing track is another departure, a tune called Pretty Girl which has a decidedly more laid back sound, but with electronic elements, contrasting with the added string section. <<>>

Intangible Lines the new album from the Arizona trio North of Tomorrow, is an absorbing collection of often disparate influences yielding a kind of techno-art-rock sound, with the driving but interesting beat, which probably had its genesis as electronic loops or drum-machine patterns, fleshed out by real drummers. There’s bits of heavy-metal-style guitar shredding, retro keyboard sounds, a string section and various backing vocalists, with arrangements than can turn on a dime and go off in a different direction within tunes. It all works surprisingly well with lots of interesting musical ideas. The album might have profited a bit by a couple more laid-back tracks, since the strong techno-inspired beat can wear a bit thin at times. But overall it’s quite engaging, even when the music can be a bit edgy.

Our grade for audio quality is a B-plus for lack of dynamic range and some occasional sonic grunge.

If you like your rock on the interesting and unconventional side, North of Tomorrow’s Intangible Lines is a great addition to one’s collection.

(c) Copyright 2025 George D. Graham. All rights reserved.
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<<>> indicates audio excerpt played in produced radio review

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