Mute Math - Armistice

I have to be honest; I was a bit disappointed on my first listen of Armistice. Granted, my expectations were probably running a little high after being spoiled by the sweet audio goodness that was, and is, their self-titled album of 2006. But for me, Armistice was just enough of a departure from their previous work that it made me feel like I had met up with an old friend, only to find out that after the passing of a couple of years, I didn’t recognize them anymore. Now, that is probably a little overdramatic, but like I said I was disappointed. It just felt a little more pop and a little less chill than their previous offerings.

That being said, I have now been playing the album nonstop in my car for the past couple of weeks, and I’m happy to report that my first impression was wrong. Armistice rocks! After that first hiccup, I listened again with new ears and the band’s growth and maturity were no longer a strange hindrance, but an entertaining positive. From that second listen forward, I was hooked.

The word armistice is a noun meaning “a temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warring parties; a truce”. This message is pretty clear throughout the lyrics. However, this is by no means a concept album. Overall, the album is dominated by the familiar Mute Math atmospheric synths, abstract guitars, calming keyboards and raw percussion. The new additions include random sprinklings of brass, layered vocals and, as mentioned previously, a little more of a pop feel to it with radio friendly hooks. Nevertheless, after you settle into the album these changes become very subtle.

Armistice starts off with the band’s most up tempo song to date: “The Nerve”. A song about accepting the world for what it is and rising above it. Here’s an excerpt: “… can you believe this world/ is just a double dealing joker/ gonna stick to his guns… can you believe this world/ just exactly as we built it/ running out of control/ set it on fire/ set it on fire!”. From there it continues the theme with “Backfire”, which highlights the irony of hindsight with a chorus of “… there goes another one of our/ surefire plans/ backfired again.” Track 8 finds the band chilling out a little bit with “Odds”. A drum heavy song with great ambient backing vocals, expressing our lack of ability to control things despite our perfectly laid out plans. Great track.

The album concludes on a really high note finishing off with 3 of the best tracks on the album. Track 10, the title track “Armistice”, is my favorite song on the record. Take some funky 70’s guitar riffs, add some driving bass, melodic lyrics and spice it up with some brass accents. “…I know/ it’s all my fault/ I’ll take the fall/ if it takes us up…”. A feast for the ears. Then comes the slowest song on the album with “Lost Year”. It opens mellowly with “Hold on to the way we started/ how it all should have gone/ somewhere love was disregarded/ and it all came undone”. Don’t let its lack of tempo fool you. This song still rocks. Mute Math likes to end its albums like it ends its concerts… with a sonic overflow. It’s not rare to have their live songs last 8 minutes or so, full of pure passion and musicality. “Burden”, clocking in at just under 9 minutes long, tries to capture that energy here. Believe me when I say, the 9 minutes flies by with its multiple percussion ambushes, tight vocals and stinking guitars.

“…we hide and wait/ for some golden star/ and hope the dirt is wearing off/”.

Aren’t we all. Enjoy this record.