Review Summary: For $1.00, they'll give you a "Telekinetic high-five."
Math the Band has existed as a very unique feature of music’s underground plethora -- through its modest vocalization, innocently simple lyrics (“Pick up some milk and eggs -- we’re making breakfast!”), and distinctive chip-tune sound effects have won over the hearts of hipsters across idle corners of the internet. In an interview with the duo (the only one on YouTube), the vocalist and guitarist said that, in opposition to the genre labels entailing “dance” or “electronic” qualities, they are a punk band.
However, in strong contrast to the punk of the 70’s, there is one trait that remains vacant after 11 years: they aren't cool.
This is what initially peaked my interest in Math: a video of a song called “Stupid and Weird.” As humble a title as abstract the music, the video was absolutely absurd -- wholly descriptive versions of life in equations (“school = hiding a boner / the truth about Thanksgiving”) with cats tearing pizza with its teeth on a VHS tape entitled “The Meaning of Life” could be a description of the ensemble on its own. Said description would be extremely valid during the ‘Don’t Worry’ era -- it seems as if beyond then, their punk fury and eccentricity has been slowly tapering off. Here, the ‘Stupid and Weird’ LP displays the absolute nadir of their passion -- their complete and total loss of their rather unique swankiness.
Track after track this album trudges hopelessly, achieving no sort of emotion or zeal. Instead of the fast synthesizer leads of their earlier releases, ‘Stupid and Weird’ hones a much less democratic, more pop-oriented sound. Such an idea is audible on track 8, “The Real Rippers”, which, because of its impermeable repetitivity, rivals the radio-friendly sound of Adele. Some songs become reminiscent of their aforementioned humility (“I’ve been doing this stuff for most of my life / But I still haven’t found my voice”) but fail due to the lack of intensity. Even the relatively upbeat tracks are only shadows of their ultimate predecessors, like “Hocus Bogus” or “Give Me a Break” (the lyrics of the latter of which may completely sum up the album: “I’ve got nothing left to say / Give me a break”).
What I like most about this album is that it exploits the cons in earlier releases very well. Such songs include “Going Back To School” parts 1 and 2 which, through being the longest tracks on the album, shows more melodic progression than songs on, say, ‘Banned the Math.’ “I Ate the Mold” also shows progression instrumentally by bringing robotic vocals and well developed tunes. Also, the vocalist starts to exhibit some sort of premature vocal skill on the title track and “Voice.” There was a lot of room for improvement, and they used it to their advantage.
‘Stupid and Weird’ can possibly be considered the worst attempt of a good band to become accepted in the mainstream. Their repetitive, sugary synth tunes were most enjoyable in 2009, but stopped being so passionate quickly, thus decreased in quality severely; however, their new sound -- commended by some for some reasons, stricken by others for others -- still has the impregnable, innocent, danceable sound, though less punk-y. ‘Stupid and Weird’, full of potential, hits no higher than the middle of the bell-curve. 2.5/5
