With a sound that meets in the middle of a collision between experimental noise rock, pop grunge, math rock, and classic indie rock, the Chicago quartet Melkbelly transform well-worn sounds of the past into something fresh, thanks to the energy and skill they apply to the process. After learning their craft on a series of singles ad EPs, they made their debut on the national stage with 2017's abrasively poppy Nothing Valley, then returned in 2020 with PITH, a more expansive and dramatic take on the sound they had established.