Even with a proverbial difficult-to-make sophomore album filled with introspective moments, MuteMath has managed to avoid self-absorption on the many strengths of its music. The New Orleans quartet flaunts its influences—like The Police—in plain view, but nonetheless crafts one of the most original and compelling group sounds to make a splash in the realm of mainstream pop in quite some time. The new album, Armistice, sees MuteMath expanding significantly on its already expansive songwriting and continuing to walk a razor’s edge between offbeat, sometimes jury-rigged instrumentation and a kind of ultimate command of accessibility. When singer Paul Meany sings, “I don’t know who to fight anymore,” it’s safe to wonder whether he might be referring to friction within the band or his own artistic self-doubt, but his sincere delivery, combined with the music’s rising tension, encompasses some powerful universal emotions. With such a natural gift for turning its own perspectives into anthems, MuteMath makes pop with substance and staying power.
Sun., Nov. 8, 8 p.m., 2009
Sun., Nov. 8, 8 p.m., 2009
