MUTEMATH ARMISTICE REVIEW
Posted by RNS Robot on December 12th, 2009
MuteMath
Armistice
Warner Bros/Teleprompt
12 tracks / 48:58
www.mutemath.com
“Anyone who thinks the first album is perfect will hate this [new] record.” – Paul Meany on Armistice, interview with The Morning Call
Who would you rather MuteMath be grouped with: the Nickelbacks and Linkin Parks of the world, putting out what amounts to the same bloody record every two years (do you realize Nickelback have sold over 30 million records in the past ten years? THIRTY. MILLION.), or the Radioheads and Nine Inch Nails, groups that have a clear identity but have released dramatically different records that are all the better for their uniqueness? Maybe a better question would be: would you rather be grouped with the vapid, mindless sheep who buy those creatively bankrupt retreads, or people who value art and music that is the product of effort, passion, skill and honesty?
Judging by much of the response to MuteMath’s sophomore effort, many of their fans would rather the band they “love” group themselves in the former category. So let’s just get this right out of the way, kids:
Armistice is not MuteMath’s self-titled debut.
Get over it.
There are more ‘real’ songs on this record, less ‘jam’ sessions. Darren King’s drumming is more subdued and less show-offy, yet still energetic and unique. The atmosphere is heavy, messy, sticky, uncertain, disillusioned, even depressing at points. Paul Meany isn’t writing uplifting anthems, he doesn’t know “anymore, I don’t what to say anymore, I don’t know who to trust anymore” (“Clipping”). The vocals are an evolutionary step forward, displaying Meany’s tremendous pipes without sounding as much ‘like’ other musicians as he has in the past. Surprisingly, it is the most gentle moments that are among the best; “Pins & Needles” and “Odds” are deep breaths in the midst of the bloody spilling of guts that is most of the disc. The bass work from Roy Mitchell-Cardenas is, in a word, brilliant.
That is simply what Armistice is. It’s not a knock on their wonderful eponymous debut, merely a statement of fact. MuteMath have made a completely different record that is nonetheless recognizably theirs. It is not as immediately engaging. If your initial reaction is disappointment… give it time.
Which isn’t to say that Armistice is a perfect record. From a technical standpoint, the bass is inexplicably low in the mix. Even with headphones on Mitchell-Cardena’s killer rhythm lines are often, frustratingly, barely audible or begging to be more pronounced. I wonder why they bothered paying the Rebirth Brass Band for the title track if they were going to bury them in the mix so. The vocals are clear, brightly recorded and full of life; the guitar is distinct, trashy and edgy. With a production team of Dennis Herrin (Modest Mouse), Tedd T and a small army of assistants, it’s unclear as to why these problems exist. Though not a major issue, a few songs are a little long (a problem with the self-titled album as well). The one real low point on the album is the Adam Laclave-penned “Electrify.” One of the few really up-tempo tracks, the pedestrian lyrics are sheer adolescent tripe, all hormones and surface level. It’s irritatingly shallow.
So my question ends up being: would most fans really be happy if MuteMath merely repeated their earlier efforts? Would there now be a spawn of fans whining that MuteMath “stayed too close to their formula?” Probably. People are stupid like that. While not quite a ‘flawed masterpiece,’ Armistice is a very good record, brimming with uncertainty and restless creativity, an electro-poprock melange that shows a band unwilling to stay within a comfortable box, results be damned. They’re making art, not product.
Tags: 2009 Releases, MuteMath