Mutemath’s debut record in 2006 revealed a band that could be just as comfortable flirting with accessible, radio-friendly tracks as they could be with indulging the experimental side of their music. It is the latter that is the order of the day on Armistice, their sophomore record.
With the exceptions of ‘No Response’ and ‘Spotlight,’ it is hard to imagine many of these tracks becoming hits on the radio. But much like Radiohead have carved out a successful career out of non-mainstream material, there is no reason why Mutemath can’t do the same. Electro-pop in the vein of New Order is revealed on ‘Goodbye’ and the title track while the band’s energy level is cranked up to 11 on the appropriately titled ‘Electrify’.
I found that Mutemath’s debut started to drag by the time you got around to the end of the record but Armistice suffers no similar fate. To fully appreciate it though, I recommend being fully tuned in when listening; it is far too interesting to be relegated to background music.