Sorry No Ferrari: Ternary

Sorry No Ferrari is an instrumental rock band that fits snugly into the prog-rock/ post-hardcore genre occupied by bands like Coheed & Cambria and Fall of Troy. Ternary, the group’s first full-length album, is a strong effort. With no vocalist to sing in an operatic, over-the-top fashion or scream through the music, the band’s songs tend to be guitar-centered. The music shifts from more melodic passages to chunkier, riff-oriented sections, with a dose of the herky-jerky, time signature-punishing complexity that dominates both prog and post-hardcore music.

What makes Ternary really work is the locked-in playing of the musicians. This kind of stuff is often a showcase for guitarists, but Brett Kelly and Chad Shivers have a nice interplay that doesn’t rely on flashy or extended solos. Instead their songwriting finds a nice balance between styles that makes the material hard-hitting without being overwrought. Equally important are drummer Jonathan Balsamo and bassist Drew Mobley, who provide a strong rhythmic base for the guitarists. Mobley rarely doubles the guitar parts, which gives the music another solid layer, while Balsamo deftly piles on the fills without ever losing the underlying beat. This isn’t the sort of music that will easily cross over to a broad audience, but fans of instrumental rock will find a lot to like about Sorry No Ferrari.