Itchy-O

Anyone who’s seen Itchy-O knows that the thirty-piece group is a far cry from your average marching band. About half the band is made up of percussionists, so seeing Itchy-O live can be a totally bombastic experience. But while the drums and cymbals can sometimes overpower the other instruments in a live setting, this six-song EP — engineered and mastered by Bob Ferbrache — exposes a more refined version of the group. The percussion, which comes across as thunderous and tribal, is still the main focus of the EP, and though even here it can be a bit too intense at times to thoroughly appreciate, overall the guitar, bass, synthesizers and theremin are much more distinct and easier to hear.