Houston act, The Mathletes just released their second full-length but I don't have a copy of that yet so I'm still jamming their first record, "#$@% You And Your Cool".
The album's title is itself a foreshadowing of the content within. The Mathletes channel a clever and cheeky awkwardness that listeners should recognize from nerd-rock bands like They Might Be Giants. The lack of concern over "cool" gives them room to experiment more than the average, vanilla, self-conscious, indie-rock band. In fact, the band openly mocks this obsession with image on "My record collection".
"#$@% You" is filled with horns, organs, and synths making it vastly more colorful than what I'm used to hearing from most local bands. "Opening Number (Hollywood Version)" uses the horns and bright vocals to create a beautiful Kinks/Beatles-like pastiche that sounds, despite the title's protestation, cool as hell.
The Mathletes are a powerful gust of fresh air and I cannot wait to hear their latest when I get around to it. Other great tracks on the debut are the KTRU version of "Asteroids!!!" and the punky "Pinocchiobot Rock". You can pick this one up on iTunes or stream it with a Rhapsody subscription.
Grade: A+
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