Inventions returns with sophomore LP, 'Maze of Woods' shares new tracks and visuals

Inventions is the perfectly-balanced intersection between Mark T. Smith of post-rock poster boys Explosions in the Sky and Matthew Cooper of longstanding ambient project Eluvium. The two have toured together and shared a label, Temporary Residence Ltd., for years, so Inventions made perfect sense when the duo's debut album surfaced last year. Now they're already back with a follow up album, Maze of Woods, out March 16.

Two of the tracks from Maze of Woods, "Springworlds" and "Peregrine" are already streaming on Inventions' Soundcloud, and they're further evidence of the perfect musical yin-yang the duo achieves. Post-rock can have a tendency to be a bit over-the-top emotionally, and ambient music can obviously fall into the "boring" category from time to time, but Inventions takes only the positives from each genre, hitting a sweet spot of imaginative, enveloping bliss. "Springworlds" is more straightforward and inviting, whereas "Peregrine" is the most experimental thing they've ever done, taking all kinds of sonic detours along the way, and far less sure of where it stands on the happiness spectrum, its childlike vocals decaying into more haunted tones. Both tracks are mesmerizing, and make the long, cold month of waiting for Maze of Woods a little easier. Stream both tracks, and check out the "Springworlds" video below as you await the seasonal change.