When a band describes their sophomore album as feeling like their real debut, it usually signals one of two things: either they’re trying to distance themselves from past missteps, or they’ve genuinely discovered their sound. For Louisiana’s Inside Voices, If It Matters falls firmly into the latter category, marking the moment when all their mathematical precision and emotional vulnerability finally click into place.
The quartet has come a long way from the raw punk energy of 2018’s “Consecutive Normal Songs.” Where that album felt like a band finding their footing, and 2021’s “Liminal Space” EP captured the claustrophobic uncertainty of lockdown life, If It Matters emerges as the work of a group who knows exactly what they want to say and how to say it.
Opening track “The Desire” sets the tone immediately, with angular guitar work that would make Delta Sleep proud, while maintaining a melodic throughline that keeps the technical prowess from feeling clinical. It’s a delicate balance that Inside Voices maintains throughout the album – showing off their chops while never letting the math-rock gymnastics overshadow the songs themselves.
Lead vocalist Tyler Jones puts it best: “Losing and gaining members over the years has yielded a diverse pool of influences and fresh perspectives that have created the unmistakable sonic fingerprint that you’ll hear on If It Matters.” That fingerprint is all over tracks like “Way Back to Myself,” where swooning hooks provide an emotional anchor for the band’s intricate instrumental interplay.
But it’s “Way Out From Here” that best showcases Inside Voices’ evolution. The track manages to merge the thoughtful contemplation of midwest emo with the band’s increasingly sophisticated approach to arrangement. The result feels both familiar and forward-looking, like discovering a new path through well-traveled territory.
After years of building their reputation through high-energy shows across the South, Inside Voices have created an album that captures their live intensity while adding new layers of nuance. “If It Matters” is the sound of a band who’ve found their voice by embracing their complexity – both musical and emotional. In doing so, they’ve delivered their most compelling statement yet.
Whatever came before, this album feels less like a sophomore effort and more like a graduation. Inside Voices have done their homework, put in the hours, and emerged with something that truly matters. The rest of the math rock scene would do well to take notes.
