Mute Math

Today I'd like to talk to you guys about my favorite band, Mute Math. But first, I'd like to give you a little glimpse of their greatness.

If you're like me, then your face will look something like this right about now: =O

Anyway, now that I have you're attention, I shall discuss Mute Math in more depth. Or rather, my experiences with them. Or rather, with their music. yeah. moving on.

I first heard of Mute Math about 3 years ago. I was watching tv one night when a commercial came on for a line up of shows on The N. I thought the song playing in the background sounded pretty coo'. At the end of the commercial the screen showed that the song was called 'Chaos', and that it was by a band called Mute Math. After seeing the commercial a few more times, I decided to look into it. So I did what any middle-schooler would do: I looked up the band on myspace.

They had the usual four songs posted. I listened to them. However, they weren't the full song, but rather only 30 second clips of them. It kinda annoyed me that I couldn't listen to all of their other songs, but what I did hear I liked. I decided that I would buy their album.

There was a slight problem, however. The first couple of stores that we looked into did not carry the cd. Aw =/ But I knew they weren't an uber popular band, so I wasn't expecting every place to carry it. However, I started to worry that I wouldn't be able to find it. Of course I could have bought it online, but I wanted a material copy and didn't want to have to have one delivered. But I didn't have to worry about that: Target had me covered. We got in, got the cd, and got out.

My first thoughts after listening to it? "Meh, it's ok..." I liked some of the songs, but I didn't really care for the others. I listened to the disc a bit more, and gained a little more appreciation for it, but still wasn't that enthusiastic about it. I eventually found another cd that struck my fancy and listened to it for a while.

But the new cd would get old. So I would listen to the Mute Math cd again. But this time, it was better than I remembered it. 'Weird,' I thought. 'I don't remember that part of the song.' The more I listened to the songs, the better they sounded. It was an interesting, yet pretty cool phenomena.

I have a little theory that may explain it: Mute Math songs are layered with so much complexity that they are impossible to be fully understood in just a few listens. Instead, one must listen to them multiple times, slowly 'digesting' them, if you will.

So I liked Mute Math, but they were still a bit away from being declared, by me, as THE GREATEST BAND EVRAR!!!!!1111elevenhundren3. That wouldn't happen until last year, when I learned that they were working on a new album. However, it wasn't simply this news that made me really fall in love with them; it was the vlogs they released on their youtube channel chronicling a bit of their progress. These vids really showed me the depth of their creativity and made me revisit their past work(aka, their previous cd). I particularly loved this video and this video (for which I have learned the piano part, and will happily play for you, if you so desire).

Ironically, the band members were having quite a bit of issues with how their new album was shaping up. They eventually decided to to throw pretty much everything out and start over. This meant that most everything that had been posted in their vlogs was pitched, too. I am kinda disappointed that I won't hear where they were going with those little bits of sounds. But if it's what the band wanted to do, then I'm fine with it.

The album was finally released this past August. Curiously, the same thing happened with this album as the first one: I wasn't too thrilled with it at first, but upon later listenings and further digestion I came to love it. My only real issue with the album is that almost all of the songs have a negative message. Allow me to elaborate with a track by track analysis of what each song basically says:

1. The Nerve: the world is corrupt, it's our fault, and we should start over
2. Backfire: even the best laid plans can blow up in your face
3. Clipping: I'm extremely confused; I can't tell right from wrong; I don't know how I'm supposed to feel; I can't tell what is real
4. Spotlight: You've messed up. Join the club
5. No Response: I ask what's wrong and what's right, yet no one seems to know
6. Pins and Needles: the little things in life wear you down
7. Goodbye: if you ever leave me, I won't know what to do
8. Odds: [I don't really know...]
9. Electrify: I'm in love with this girl. I hope she goes too far
10. Armistice: I know I've messed up in our relationship. I'm sorry. Can we move on?
11. Lost Year: Our relationship hasn't worked out and never will
12. Burden: "The devil is not the nature that is around us, but the nature that is within us all"

Do ya see what I mean? A few negative songs here and there aren't that bad, but a whole album? That's kinda depressing. Especially when their touring; playing the same sad songs almost every day? That would bring me down...

But I guess the positivity of the first album balances it out. Sorta. Maybe.

Anyway, to sum up: Mute Math is a pretty sweet band. Give them a listen.