Formed in Richmond with Sleepytime Trio drummer Jonathan Fuller, Engine Down’s sound has grown over the years. Early albums bore the imprimatur of math rock, with odd time-signatures and churning guitar angularity, while Keely Davis’ vocal wail had more in common with emo. But the band improved–with Davis reining in the melodrama and the playing tightening up. Their 2004 release, Enginedown, unveiled a new approach–shiny, slightly atmospheric punk-pop in the vein of Jimmy Eat World. To Bury Within the Sound completes the evolution. Not as poppy as the last album nor as intricately plotted as earlier releases, it’s deeply textured and moody rock.
Engine Down plays the Cat’s Cradle on their final tour Wednesday, Aug. 3. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10. Bella Lea, des_ark and Ben Davis open.