Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Considering the New Orleans band's eyebrow-raising history when they began suing Word Records/Warner Bros because they didn't want to be marketed or perceived as "a Christian band", Mutemath certainly sing a lot about spiritual things. 'Odd Soul' is littered with references to faith and the divine and even uses the J word on the song "Blood Pressure" (which seems to be reflecting the pressure being put on the songwriter by spiritually expectant parents). On one level the band continue with their engaging fusion of alternative rock and electronica but now they've added some unexpected psychedelic elements to their sound. There are other influences as well. The title track with its bluesy swagger is not dissimilar to The Black Keys while on "Allies" singer Paul Meany has never sounded so soulful. "All Or Nothing" could almost be Radiohead while the piece-de-resistance has to be the seven-minute "Quarantine". The band's last album, 2009's 'Armistice', spawned five turntable hits on Cross Rhythms radio. This one could well do the same.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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