Name: Math & Science
Album: s/t
Year: 2001
Style: Smooth Pop
Similar Bands: Inflatable Men, The Eels, Apples In Stereo/Marbles, Bicycle, Lincoln, Fountains Of Wayne, Lightning Seeds, Marxy
"One Word" Review: Shiny Harmless Computer Pop
Based out of: Indianapolis, IN -> LA, CA
Label: Brick Red Records
Math & Science: Cover (source: Amazon)
Math & Science: CD & CD tray
Math & Science: Back
Math & Science (2001)
- Disguise 3:50
- Words 3:23
- She Left Me 3:38
- Soundbite 4:21
- Eternity 4:00
- Cool Me Down 3:48
- Airstream On The Highway 3:18
- Naked 4:31
- In Your Movie 3:09
- Forget About Here 4:03
- Fifteen 3:42
- Digitize 2:54
Album Rating (1-10): 9.0
Members & Other Bands:
John Wolf - Instrumentation, Producer (PJ Olssen, Crumb)
Aram Arslanian - Organ (PJ Olssen, Champion)
Goldo [Paul Goldowitz] - Scratching (Ye Olde English)
Phil Blackman - Mixing
Marina Chavez - Photography
Kristin Hambsch - Creative Director
David Mitson - Mastering
Janet Wolsborn - Art Direction
Peggy Zier - Logo Design
Unknown-ness: I must have heard
of these guys back in 2001, but never paid attention to them. I got their
album as a coverless cut out in a discount bin, but I have no idea what it is like. I must have liked something about it
to buy the album back then, so I’m going to assume it is some catchy pop. With
a name like Math & Science, perhaps it is complex, calculated math rock,
which would live up to the nerdy/geeky & old fashioned nature of the album
art.
Album Review: The album is
pretty catchy pop-rock, with a concentration of electronic flurries and smooth
production. It is basically a one man show on this album, it seems he is still
using the moniker M&S and has a new(ish) album on bandcamp.
“Disguise” has a
fun Apples in Stereo (especially their 2010’s Travelers in Space & Time)
fade up, and electronic futuristic approach. Smooth, meek, nearly computerized
vocals, overlayered for the chorus. But the dancy tune is instantly catchy and
completely approachable. The delivery in the chorus is fulfilling as it
explodes.
“Words” has a
Lincoln-esq wha-wha, jammy band bass line, and is more straightforward pop.
Again, the vocals are light and fey, and they again explode in the chorus with
energy and sound. The melody is fun to follow along with and the chorus is a
nice building hook. After two segments, they have a reprise of the melody slightly
rearrange, but identifiably similar. The repetition of the chorus at the end
solidifies the hook in your head. It ends with a fade out of the chorus spoken
through a computer vocoder minus the music accompaniment.
“She Left Me” is
a slower lament, but still has shiny production. It feels like the sadness in
the vocals are leading somewhere, but they don’t really ever get there. The
chorus feels exactly like Fountains of Wayne. No other way to describe it.
“Soundbite” has a
liquidy Apples in Stereo pop guitar hook. The vocals are whispering in your
ear, but come off as clear as sunshine. This song sounds like Fountains of
Wayne covering a Lightning Seeds song, particularly in the side to side
grooving chorus. The bridge that leads up to the chorus builds the anticipation
nicely, even chipping in a dramatic pause or a glittery keyboard flourish.
“Eternity” is a nerdy
computer programmed love song. It has a great build, but at the same time, its
non-threatening nature is unparalleled. It floats along on mechanical, wobbly cloudy
bursts of glee. There is a certain programmed aspect of this song that dates it
to a type of production that was popular in the indie-pop music of the early
aughts.
“Cool Me Down” is
exactly as it sounds. The vocals come down from the euphoric high of the
previous song. There is a summertime in the suburbs feel to the song, perhaps a
dance in a sprinkler or an open hydrant via the twinkling keyboard and soothing
vocals. Then the song breaks tradition and becomes energetic with a higher octave
reprise of the chorus that just shows the depth of which M&S is capable. It
comes back at the end of the song for a great “remember this” visit and expansion.
“Airstream On The
Highway” is a head nodding groove with slightly distorted vocals and a care
free atmosphere. Again, this song paints a picture that parallels the topic of
the song very well, even throwing in a harmonic for a middle America cross
country trip feel. The song ends with more harmonica.
“Naked” is sung
through a bucket, and keeps that harmonica going. This is a darker, simpler
groove that is grittier than the rest of the album.
“In Your Movie”
is a funky guitar distorted and scratched pop song. The vocals are waveringly
polite, and the melody flows very organically. As was popular in the time,
there are a bunch of unnecessary record scratching sounds. This song sounds
just like anything on the s/t album by Bicycle, which probably no one else
would remember. The chorus features a mash up of so many styles from pop to a
little Hawaiian guitar to the aforementioned scratching, to funky wha-wha
guitars, which end the song.
“Forget About
Here” is a quiet, sullen track, with just acoustic guitar, and a twinkling of
keyboards underneath. A drum machine is added with a echoing crash style. This
song reminds me most of Lincoln, again, and features more organic melodies. At
the end of the song they take opportunity of the organic nature by offering
other variants of the basic hook.
“Fifteen” starts
with some basic power pop chord changes, filtered through the production of the
era. There is no echoing power, the sounds are clean and precise. The chorus is
a siren of energy, at least the synth in the background sounds like a siren. It
is bold and dense yet still remains catchy and Fountains of Wayne-y. The song
is a thoughtful tribute to being 15, and how it was the singer’s ideal year. The
end features the main thoughtful lyric wind down, like a computer crashing, and
the rest of the song fades out.
“Digitize” is a
wind down from the album, and begins with an electric, fuzzy guitar. After two
sets of the verse, the vocals are double layered to form a bridge that leads
back to the verse, with an extra wha-wha guitar in the background. The liquid
guitar plays a “solo” melody vocal parallel, and the song winds down before it
ever has a chance to get going. Which, unfortunately is a apt metaphor for this
album. It was really good, but never took off, and therefore, it winded down
before it got a chance to get going.
Stand Out Track: Disguise
Links:
amazon
amazon
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