The opening seconds of When I Explode feature a sound resembling a drum major’s whistle. It briefly took me back to high school marching band, but then the guitars kicked in and I thankfully wasn’t wearing an embarrassing red uniform or tri-corner hat. Even better, So Many Dynamos’ new disc wasn’t here to lead me on a parade down Main Street, but rather they were here to lead me on a parade to rock/spaz/dance my face off.

After a listen to the album’s often frantic sounding thirty-one minutes, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that the Midwestern quartet had the album mixed by the Dismemberment Plan’s Jason Caddell at Arlington, VA’s Inner Ear Studios. The tracks on When I Explode all tend to reach climactic moments driven by strong percussive passages, angular guitars, and just an amazing intensity that reminded me of Q and Not U as well as other DC-area bands.

This is in no way meant to suggest that So Many Dynamos is simply a St. Louis derivative of East Coast dance-punk bands. The band isn’t afraid to explore somewhat poppier aspects of their sound (“Seriously, Now”, “We Panic In A Pew”) and also demonstrates an affinity for more experimental, noise-focused transitions. There is only one warning that needs to be issued regarding When I Explode and that is to be careful when listening to the album with headphones in public places – it may lead to you loudly sing along which could lead to a slightly embarrassing moment.