Mute Math dares to star a keytar
The atonally named, New Orleans-based band Mute Math resists categorization. The band dabbles in a dozen different styles and genres, refusing to settle neatly into any accepted category. Although the music is heavily influenced by rock bands like Police, Mute Math also plays with a swirling Radiohead-like ambiance, occasional mad dashes into noisy electronica and a crooning vocal style similar to Switchfoot.
Mute Math’s willingness to experiment makes the band’s self-titled debut album an interesting listen, but beneath some catchy songwriting the album lacks real lyrical depth.
On one of the strongest tracks on the Mute Math, “Noticed,” lead singer and keyboard Paul Meany’s pop vocals float over a Coldplay-inspired guitar and piano strum. “Stare At the Sun” blends seamlessly into “Obsolete,” a more-or-less successful hybrid of grunge sound and jazz undertones. “Control” lacks bite, despite an instantly accessible chorus.
Keany spends most of the bands’ stage show wailing on a keytar — a wearable keyboard shaped like a guitar. Meany admits that “the keytar is not really a socially acceptable instrument” but it grants him freedom of movement and visibility. Meany’s energy is a key part of Mute Math’s dynamic stage show.
On “Chaos” and “Typical,” Mute Math ventures into rock with driving beats and distorted guitar riffs. Meany’s vocals seem to be about wanting to “break the spell of the typical.”
However, the band’s main focus is the music, and the words take a back seat. Lyrically, the band struggles with repetition and the stale teenage themes of freedom and self-expression. There is a disconnect between the music and the vocals, as if Meany writes words simply to fit already finished songs.
Mute Math is very much a first album. The band needs to work on blending lyrical composition with musical savvy. There is no question that this is one talented band. The brilliant drumming of Darren King anchors every song ,and Paul Meany gives the band a dynamic face. With such tremendous talent, passion and potential, there is no reason Mute Math should not ripen into a contender with time and experience.
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