Simple Carbs recreates the experience of excessive sugar consumption, known colloquially as a “sugar high.” The first two minutes of this piece are extremely animated, with howling altissimo playing by the saxophones, and stomping piano chords. Vaguely dancelike, the piece loses focus on keeping a straight rhythm, flailing wildly back and forth. This is halted prominently with the inevitable crash that follows every sugar high. The saxophones slough through a reinterpretation of the opening material, this time without nearly as much energy (though with the same volume, in places). Slowly, the piece begins to balance itself out into a more regular pace, and builds its energy back up towards the music of the beginning, and cuts off before it can resume the crazy pace of the first section.