Review Summary: I'm just a monkey that is rocking!
Mathematics. Meticulous, exact, precise. That seems to be Dan Black's approach on this EP with his shiny new band The Servant. These tracks are all weird electronica of the type that the band would later be known for, but it's Black's pop sensibilities and expert songwriting that make this a great debut.
"The Apes and the Chimpanzees" is borderline trip-hop with a heavy bass underscoring lyrics about likening guests at a dinner party to monkeys. It's not at all profound, but in its goofiness lies the quirkiness and attention to detail that Black excels at. "Dripping on Your Maths" ups the ante with an up-tempo dance-able song about chewing a black pen til it drips ink on your maths. Its simple subject matter belies its brilliant exploration of discontent; lyrics such as "Is this what you studied for? / A kind of mime / From nought to nine", as well as the recurring titular image of chewing on a pen til it bursts, reveal the disillusionment of an office worker pretending to care about his tedious work and fooling even himself into believing he enjoys it.
The rest of the EP finds its happy place in the unique imagery and abstract lyricism of Dan Black. "Conversation" takes the unusual stance of setting up a story about a girl waiting for a call from her boyfriend, Gary, only to refute the story by saying "The girl from verse one / does not exist" and "The tragedy is that Gary's me", noting all along that "conversation isn't the point". "Too Late" begins with the highly inventive lines "I imported horses from Dubai. / Like great white sharks, we rode / Around the local park" and expounds on this image as a metaphor for going one's own way (and taking drugs?) and everyone else's disapproval. "Walking Through Gardens" is a hilarious romp detailing the death of the narrator's wife, interment in the back yard, and joyous anticipation of building a new patio. Maybe it's a metaphor—or mayhaps it's wishful thinking—but it works. And the closing track, "Tangled Up in Headphone Lead", follows the secret admiration of an adoring narrator for a girl he sees in a store, imagining a simple conversation that never happens. This song highlights his lonliness, but builds into hope and optimism after he sees her drive off and keeps daydreaming about her.
Mathematics features poetic lyrics that illustate difficult and subtle emotions, brilliantly laid out in well-arranged pop songs. There are electronic and synthesized elements interspersed with real instruments and this band is most assuredly a Dan Black vehicle, although the talent of the other band members cannot be denied. The Servant is starting to do great things here, and fortunately would go on to release another stellar EP and an amazing full-length album (and one so-so album, but let's not talk about that). For potential fans, this is a good place to start.
