Review: Armistice by MuteMath

It's no secret I've been a fan of MuteMath since the Reset EP days. (Ok, and I also own Earthsuit's Kaleidoscope Superior.) So I guess that gives me the right to be a little critical of their latest release Armistice (2009, WEA/Reprise). First, the good stuff.

Musically, Armistice lives up to the precedent it created with the band's self-titled release. Their sound is still undeniably MuteMath, albeit a bit more accessible. Paul Meany's voice is still amazing and versatile, both rocking and subtle as the mood dictates. The programming is exceptional. Whoever thought up the gritty bass on "Backfire" was on his game that day. The double-time disco of "Goodbye" is spot-on (did I hear a hammered dulcimer in there?) as well as the nearly-monotonic chant of the verses on "No Response" (the band may get some Coldplay comparisons here). The sparse "Pins and Needles" evokes just the right mood, as does the tribal, percussion-heavy "Odds". The highlight of the album may just be the brilliant, brassy "Armistice", but the jury's still out.

Now for the not-so-good stuff. Sorry if I'm the only one, but I think the album's opener "The Nerve" is a real stinker. I expect a little more out of the band than a monotonous anthem of "Set it on fire! Set it on fire!" et al. "Electrify" sucks but for different reasons. Not something I would've expected to hear on a MuteMath album. Then again, the band has been veering in a different direction as of late. Lyrically, the album contains enough defeatism and nihilism to make Nietzsche raise an eyebrow or two and I can't think of a single redemptive line in the whole set. It's just plain depressing. There are too many to list here, but here are some representative lyrics:

Please tell me, why are we trying so hard?
Why worry, it's over,
We always fall right back to where we start

Feeling all alone,
Carrying bottled skies around.
I've been drowning all along,
Wear it out in a faltered sea,
And I give up

And if it all is black and white
Then tell me what is wrong and right
I don't suppose that anybody knows
And maybe when we reach the end
We'll ask imaginary friends
Why no response

I know it's hard to say, we throw it all away,
But the odds are we'll be better off.

we just lie awake in a storm and thought
we lie awake and imagine what we are
we hide and live for some golden star
and hope the dead is wearing off

Perhaps I'm a little sensitive lately, but it almost sounds like somebody's been bitten with the "fame bug". It wouldn't be the first of my favorites this year. I mean, I'm all for self expression, including one's fears and doubts, but the lyrics of this album joined with some of Meany's comments in (semi-)recent interviews lead me to some disconcerting conclusions. And when you compare the lyrics of this album to those of their self-titled effort, it's hard to believe it's the same band. I guess the contrast is the most troubling.