Show Review

Mute Math, a band with exponentially increasing hype, were calling the night of the 30th their CD-release party for their highly acclaimed Self-Titled album. I could tell by the vibe that the anticipation was killing a lot of the crowd, and that this band is going to be huge in the near future. Their album, which was being sold tonight as for the last few nights since they started their tour, has been getting a lot of industry and word-of-mouth buzz, and is a complex, advanced, and huge sounding indie/pop/electro/rock fusion disc.

After seeing Vedera a few times already, I was impressed yet again. Powerful, energetic vocals and piano, backed up by an extremely talented and tight-knit rhythm section, these guys are also destined for big things. They played all tracks from their debut full-length, "The Weight Of An Empty Room," and while I was enjoying their set, the anticipation was killing me to see Mute Math..a band I had heard was incredible live and had missed due to an early start time on the Circa / Mae tour.

As if it weren't long enough, Mute Math finally took the stage. With an array of instruments, background display playing what looked like visualizations from say winamp or itunes, and a couple keyboards and key-tar for the singer, this band was serious about rocking the Troub. They opened with perhaps one of the best songs so far in 2006, "Chaos." The swirling, rampent pop track was perfect, and I was immediately impressed with their front-man's stage presence. Perching on top of his keyboard, raising his key-tar in the air, he was obviously passionate about what he was doing, and confident--but not in that annoying, in-your-face way.

They followed a well-received "Chaos" with the second track on their album, "Typical," which was a shouty blend of reeling guitars and vocals that again, was almost flawlessly rendered as if the record were playing in my headphones. "Stare At The Sun" came next, truly introducing the drummers thickness and insane syncopation and time-changing. I was even more stunned as the band at this point first demonstrated their ability to "jam," and the singer, drummer, and bassist all took their part beating a plastic object (perhaps a frisbee), drums, and a marching-band style bass drum (oh, did I mention they had one of these guys??).

Their set continued to rock on, with elaborate performances of "Control," "Noticed," and "Picture" (beautiful chorus), all done practically to note as they sound on the CD/EP. "Peculiar People" was likely my least favorite moment of their set, as the "jam-session" seemed to go on forever, but it was still quite impressive to see the drummer's sheer talent--and the whole band's sense of rhythm as the guitarist took over some hand drums and bassist continued to flow perfectly. After, again, impeccable performances of "Without It," "Plan B," and an encore of "Reset," I couldn't have been more moved.

This band has perhaps one of the most complex, amazingly produced albums I have heard in a long time--and it was truly stunning to hear the band's mastery of their complex nature. A super tight, impressive rhyhtm section (note to note bass lines that were as good as if not better than on record) and beautiful vocals made me believe this band is going to be the next huge band. Original, creative, and surely brilliant, you need to see Mute Math...that is if you can get a ticket in time.

review by Andrew Martin