A mix of ambient interludes, post-rock anthems and noisy burst of chewy goodness, ?A Hat? is a heady release with something for everyone. ?Quit Touching My Ass? is the whole record in microcosm, as it slowly a dreamily builds up to mayhem, resolving the tension with noise and then settling into a standard groove fueled by the rhythm-section.

?Puny Go Stompin?? also slowly builds up to its meat, which unfolds in a droning, jangly, Feelies-esque hypnotic swirl.

All but two of the six tracks are over twelve minutes (and one of those, ?Hand or Fingers?? is eight minutes), which is a lot for an instrumental rock record. But patience is more than rewarded for listening deeply to each track; Souvaris use well the space they give themselves; from noise and math-rock to some fusion trappings, ?A Hat? is flawlessly delivered, with passion and precision. 7/10 -- Mike Wood (8 January, 2008)