Mute Math

At times sounding like the spawn of a 16-bit era platformer videogame crossbred with the background ambience of a film score, Mute Math have definitely created something that excels at penetrating the depths of sonic layers with their sophomore album, Armistice, featuring string quartets and jazz horn sections in addition to their signature four-piece rock/electronic setup. Band front-man Paul Meany has said that "anyone who thinks the first album is perfect will hate this [new] record. If you heard the first record and liked some stuff about it [but] think things could improve, you may like it." While that's not necessarily a valid assessment of the album the sentiment does partially apply. Fans of the band's self-titled debut might be a little confused by the lack of consistent hooks between the songs but it definitely still sounds like Mute Math. Notably absent is the album-encompassing flow that permeated their self-titled debut, where each song flowed seamlessly into the next. This doesn't hurt Armistice but it leaves the production lacking the grandiosity of its predecessor. In the end, if you were a fan before you'll probably still find something to enjoy regardless of what Meany has said about it. This just isn't the hook-laden extravaganza fans were expecting.