The band Book of Maps has one of those names that make one wonder what the exact brainstorming process was. Maybe they originally wanted Atlas, but that being already taken, settled for the definition instead.

In any case, Book of Maps returns with their sophomore effort, simply titled Book of Maps II. The album is pretty much the epitome of indie rock. It is being released under Whoa!Boat Records, a record label that currently consists entirely of the band Book of Maps. Whoa!Boat may have all their eggs in one basket, but at least the eggs seem to be safe at the moment. Now all that remains is for the eggs to be found.

The first track on the album is humorously titled "If you ever hear anybody say rulocks, they got it from us." Apparently, Book of Maps is taking credit for what they perceive to be a rise in the popularity of the word "rulocks." Rulocks does not seem to stand for anything, but that is also rather inconsequential. It is gibberish as far as the average listener is concerned.

Speaking of gibberish, the vocals in this song are nearly impossible to distinguish from the music. This may be intentional, or it may just be a case of the music overpowering the voice. Luckily, the music is so well played that it does not really matter what is being said.

The song begins with hard guitar riffs coupled with drums and cymbals crashing. This immediately perks the listener's ears. Once the vocals arrive, it may sound like nonsense, but it does not really take away from the song's entertainment value.

Plus, the singing still sounds decent — it just sort of blends with the instruments in a way that makes them hard to interpret. As a result, if Book of Maps has any sort of lyrical insights, they are unfortunately lost in the mix of the music.

This trend traverses all the tracks, in fact. Most of the songs are not necessarily vocal vehicles, though. The band intelligently relies on their musical ability, which skillfully shines in every song. Each track is filled with the kind of exuberance that makes it hard not to get excited along with the band. They seem in such high spirits just to be making music that the listener cannot help but admire their passion.

The third track, entitled "Freddie Mercury equals who?" is, ironically, completely devoid of vocals. Then again, who wants to compete with Freddie Mercury? Putting his name on a track sets an awfully high standard.

Lacking any vocal support, the song lasts a mere 50 seconds. Nonetheless, these 50 seconds transmit an interesting, undulating techno sound backed by an electric guitar strum that all fade up at once in the beginning and eventually all fade back down at the end, showing no sign of stopping or changing. It is as if the melody had been going on before the listeners get to hear the snippet and continues after they no longer have the pleasure.

Indeed the sound does continue, at the beginning of the eighth track, "Freddie Mercury equals you." The familiar techno undulation continues for another 47 seconds before being interrupted by a drumbeat. At this point, the song nicely speeds up for a bit. After a while, it then takes a bit of a break to let the guitar twangs linger for a few moments while the drumbeat also decelerates in the background.

Then come the vocals that, as pointed out earlier, cannot really compare to Freddie Mercury. They are, however, fitting for the song and the overall style that the band has established. The 50-second interlude presented on the third track may be more attractive than the complete five-minute-and-40-second-long song, but the song still has the same charm that each of the previous tracks possess — a generally upbeat tempo with skillful drum and guitar performances.

As seen by such track titles as "Your girl is like A sharp, she B flat" and "Bathing is just so conformist," Book of Maps clearly has a good sense of humor. On the official Whoa!Boat Records website, where the CD can currently be purchased, there is only one review of Book of Maps II listed. The review reads, "Oh sh-t, you haven't, like, heard it yet? It is sooo good." The review is credited as being overheard at a Phoenix bus stop. As strange as it initially seems, this review isn't all that far from the mark. Give it some time and this sort of review will be overheard at bus stops across the country.

Rating: 4 out of 5