The first time anyone sees Narrow/Arrow, their eyes are drawn to the same thing…Cody Nicolas’ second guitar, clamped to a keyboard stand in front of him. Everyone speculates as to its purpose, but no one is prepared when they see him play both guitars in tandem.

Naturally, that visual is completely lost in an audio format—which is why it’s a good thing that Narrow/Arrow relies more on quality songwriting and composition than on live gimmicks.

On their debut EP, Narrow/Arrow offers up as rewarding a blend of emo and math rock as anyone has ever done. And let’s be honest—noodling twinkly riffs in opening tunings isn’t nearly enough to stand out these days.

Despite Nicolas’ frenetic fretwork, bassist Mark Canole’s agile basslines, and drummer Jonathan Marshall Hape’s rapidfire, angular drum licks, Middle Children achieves a sort of serenity that transcends its musical restlessness.

Nicolas’ voice is almost as impressive as his ability to manage multiple guitars. He jumps from a soaring falsetto to a passionate scream, sometimes within the same line, as he wrestles with faith and familial expectations throughout the record (most notably on the dramatically tense “Impress Your Parents“).

Picking out standouts is difficult, because every moment of this record is stunning. Every second of its seventeen minutes is rich and rewarding. And despite having a mere five tracks, it hits harder than most bands can do in twice the time. It’s a stunning debut that is simultaneously promises a great career and delivers on that promise.