The moment \u201cOdd Soul\u201d kicks in, you realize this is not the MuteMath of 2006.<\/p>\n
Sure, the same sonic imprint is still there, the amped-up mix of rock and electronics, given a sheen of overproduction that pushes it into the red. Evidently, the guys put on a killer live show. it almost seems the studio constrains their impulses.<\/p>\n
But on Odd Soul<\/i>, the band reveals more depth and soul than on the previous two albums. The music is a little more organic, a little less processed, and more experimental than the blurs of noise that characterized the worst of Mutemath <\/i>and Armistice<\/i>. <\/p>\n
The ambience of \u201cAll Or Nothing\u201d puts these guys in the same league as Radiohead, such is the chilly vibe and high-pitched vocals, while the aforementioned title track kicks things off with one of those blues rock tunes being spun by contemporaries Joe Bonamassa and the Black Keys. Little on previous MuteMath outings has hinted at this sort of depth.<\/p>\n
Other highlights include the spacy electronica of \u201cSun Ray,\u201d which neatly updates those old Massive Attack and Portishead albums of the early \u201890s, the jaunty, kinetic \u201cAllies,\u201d and the nonsensical rock pomp of \u201cPrytania.\u201d An unusual time signature and Paul Meany\u2019s washed-out vocals elevate \u201cCavalries\u201d above the fray as well.<\/p>\n
Speaking of vocals, MuteMath has no qualms about putting their faith in their lyrics, but never is it insulting, pandering or too strong. \u201cWalking Paranoia\u201d is a good example of this, with self-examinations like \u201cI am a nervous wreck \/ Jesus is coming back \/ Gonna catch me at the porno rack\u201d trading off with \u201cPreachers are on the prowl \/ And they got me on the TV dial \/ \u2018Say your prayers or burn and rot\u2019.\u201d <\/p>\n
Many of the lyrics follow a similar thread, a mix of questioning one\u2019s actions and faith with a desire to do the right thing, whether it be with God or in a relationship: \u201cI don\u2019t have that thing inside that tell me \/ When I\u2019ve said enough \u2026 I know no one keeps you on guard \/ More than I do \/ But I don\u2019t have to tell you that,\u201d Meany sings on \u201cTell Your Heart Heads Up,\u201d one of those rare occurrences when the jerk of the relationship actually realizes his or her actions instead of automatically blaming the other person.<\/p>\n
The Motown funk of \u201cOne More\u201d is another highlight, an example of restraint and keyboards that proves these guys are more than amplified alt-rock. It\u2019s perhaps the best song here. Dragging down the proceedings are a handful of noisy tracks with no real melodies, especially the overlong \u201cQuarantine,\u201d but the closing \u201cIn No Time\u201d is beautiful and simple, a pleasant electronic blip underneath heartfelt lyrics about rediscovering one\u2019s hope and faith after it has been shaken.<\/p>\n
The variety of styles and textures on Odd Soul<\/i> showcase a band that is more willing to experiment than to ride into the ground a sound that brought them initial fame. More fun and memorable than MuteMath <\/i>and more accessible than the insular Armistice, <\/i>this is MuteMath\u2019s best album to date. <\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":31158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"artist":[7894],"rating":[5615],"class_list":["post-42849","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-mutemath","rating-rating-b"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/42849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42849"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/42849\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=42849"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=42849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}