Armistice - or, Mute Math Grows Up
I've been struggling to concentrate on this brand spankin' new LP from some of my very favorite men in music, but it's hard when Muse updates are flying all over the place, and I get wind that Sonata Arctica have a new LP due out next month (SHORT NOTICE MUCH), etc ad nauseum. But I think I'm finally settling into this album, so - some thoughts.
On first listen, the overall MM sound seems really stripped back instrumentally, but that's deceptive. There's actually quite a few layers going on - they're just a lot more subtle than they've been in the past. Piano accents, synth effects, vocals, spastic drumming (bless you Darren King) - they don't stand out and dance in front of in your face like they did before. I feel like the band's trying give up their reliance on musical gimmicks (as fun as those are - "Reset" will always be brilliant) and focus more on song structure and more inherent modes of contrast. This makes for much more rewarding future listens, IMO. I'm on my third listen through right now, and it's already grown on me tremendously. The soundscape seems to open up with familiarity, instead of becoming smaller, like many songs do after too many spins. The MM debut lost a lot of its appeal for me after the first few go-throughs, and I'm so glad that's not going to be the case with this one. I knew Paul Meany and company were capable of better. This is some sweet proof.
What's most reassuring of all is I can see yet more ground to cover beyond this - clearly, the band have taken some steps outside of their comfort zone, and I think that's paving the way for a bright future. It's interesting that I see MuteMath as such a transitional love - I listened to the debut thinking "I can't wait to hear what comes after this," and now that their sophomore effort is finally here, I'm thinking much the same thing. I like what I'm hearing, but I'm even more excited for where they're going.
Lastly, I'm going crazy trying to figure out the proper spacing for the band's name. The official site uses both Mute Math and MuteMath. This drives me batty. It's like BioShock and Bioshock - though at least that one was officially confirmed as the former. I'm just beggin' for some consistency in my typography, mmkay?!
ETA: For anyone curious enough to check out a few tracks, I'd recommend "Pins and Needles", "Clipping", and "Backfire" - my three favorites at the moment. ETA2: JUST KIDDING, now "Armistice" and "Burden" are my faves. What the drive home will reveal!
On first listen, the overall MM sound seems really stripped back instrumentally, but that's deceptive. There's actually quite a few layers going on - they're just a lot more subtle than they've been in the past. Piano accents, synth effects, vocals, spastic drumming (bless you Darren King) - they don't stand out and dance in front of in your face like they did before. I feel like the band's trying give up their reliance on musical gimmicks (as fun as those are - "Reset" will always be brilliant) and focus more on song structure and more inherent modes of contrast. This makes for much more rewarding future listens, IMO. I'm on my third listen through right now, and it's already grown on me tremendously. The soundscape seems to open up with familiarity, instead of becoming smaller, like many songs do after too many spins. The MM debut lost a lot of its appeal for me after the first few go-throughs, and I'm so glad that's not going to be the case with this one. I knew Paul Meany and company were capable of better. This is some sweet proof.
What's most reassuring of all is I can see yet more ground to cover beyond this - clearly, the band have taken some steps outside of their comfort zone, and I think that's paving the way for a bright future. It's interesting that I see MuteMath as such a transitional love - I listened to the debut thinking "I can't wait to hear what comes after this," and now that their sophomore effort is finally here, I'm thinking much the same thing. I like what I'm hearing, but I'm even more excited for where they're going.
Lastly, I'm going crazy trying to figure out the proper spacing for the band's name. The official site uses both Mute Math and MuteMath. This drives me batty. It's like BioShock and Bioshock - though at least that one was officially confirmed as the former. I'm just beggin' for some consistency in my typography, mmkay?!
ETA: For anyone curious enough to check out a few tracks, I'd recommend "Pins and Needles", "Clipping", and "Backfire" - my three favorites at the moment. ETA2: JUST KIDDING, now "Armistice" and "Burden" are my faves. What the drive home will reveal!