Armistice (album)

Armistice is the second full-length album by Mutemath, released in Japan on August 5, 2009 and in the US on August 18.

Armistice
Studio album by
Mutemath
ReleasedAugust 5, 2009
RecordedNew Orleans, Louisiana
GenreAlternative rock, post-rock[1][2]
Length48:58
LabelTeleprompt Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Music Japan
Megaphon Germany
ProducerMutemath, Dennis Herring
Mutemath chronology
Spotlight EP
(2009)		 Armistice
(2009)		 Armistice Live
(2010)
Singles from Armistice
  1. "Spotlight"
    Released: February 10, 2009
  2. "The Nerve"
    Released: June 2009
  3. "Backfire"
    Released: September 2009
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic70/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Alternative Press[3]
Paste4.6/10[2]
PopMatters[4]

Recording

During the recording of the album, short videos have been posted to the band's YouTube profile. These videos document the work going on in the studio, including street interviews where New Orleans locals are shown samples of the album (which cannot be heard in the video), recording their reactions. Any clips of actual music from the new album are presented in such a way that they only hint at what the album will eventually sound like.[5]

History

On April 4, 2008, Goodwin Films announced they were working on a documentary film about the making of Mutemath's new record. No further details have been announced regarding the release of the film.[6]

On August 2, 2008, in an interview with The Morning Call, band member Paul Meany spoke about the new record. "We want to keep it in the oven and make sure things are ready to go," says Meany. "Anyone who thinks first album is perfect will hate this [new] record. If you heard the first record and liked some stuff about it [but] think things could improve, you may like it. It's important for us to change up the formula. We thought we were writing [the new album] for the last 2½ years on the road, but found out we weren't. We just started three months ago."[7]

On January 14, 2009, Darren King said in an interview that after a break for the holidays, they would "get back to recording in hopes of having everything done in March so that the album can come out in August. It has taken way longer than we would have ever imagined but we’re just not done with it yet." Additionally, he mentioned that the album was Mutemath's first album which involved collaboration among all four members of the band.[8]

The title for the sophomore record was confirmed as Armistice on May 27, 2009 in an interview on InsideBayArea.com and then confirmed on the same day on the Mutemath forums[9][10] Teleprompt Records and Warner Bros. Records made a joint press release on June 9, 2009 announcing the details of the album release including the name Armistice, album cover, and track listing, as well as the official US release date of August 18.[11]

A special tour package of the Armistice album was released including a ticket to a Mutemath concert with "first-in-line" access, an invitation to an exclusive listening party held in advance of the album's release, a T-shirt, a lithograph, and a digital download of the Armistice album. The package also includes digital downloads of the single "The Nerve" as well as B-side recordings "Valium" and "Armistice (2nd Line version)" featuring Rebirth Brass Band.

Commercial response

Armistice debuted at no. 18 on the Billboard 200, with over 18,000 units sold in the first week. The album also charted at no. 4 on Billboard Rock charts and no. 3 on the Billboard Digital Albums and Billboard Alternative Albums charts the same week.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Paul Meany, Dennis Herring and Tedd Tjornhom.

No.TitleLength
1."The Nerve"2:58
2."Backfire"3:22
3."Clipping"4:05
4."Spotlight"3:21
5."No Response"4:01
6."Pins and Needles"4:05
7."Goodbye"4:09
8."Odds"3:01
9."Electrify"3:49
10."Armistice"3:54
11."Lost Year"3:13
12."Burden"9:06
United States iTunes bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."Architecture"4:22
VIP Tour Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."Valium"4:27
14."Armistice" (2nd Line version, featuring Rebirth Brass Band)3:37
Japan bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."Clockwork"4:44

Release history
Region Date
Japan August 5, 2009
United States August 18, 2009

Personnel

References
  1. Andrew Leahey. "Armistice - MUTEMATH | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  2. Gray Chapman. "Mutemath: Armistice :: Music :: Reviews :: Paste". Paste. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  3. "Armistice Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  4. Ross Langager. "Mute Math: Armistice | PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  5. "Mutemath's Youtube profile". July 2008.
  6. "Shooting Mutemath in Nashville". Goodwin Films. April 4, 2008.
  7. "Buzz grows louder for Mutemath". The Morning Call. August 2, 2008. Archived from the original on August 13, 2008.
  8. "Exclusive Mutemath and Jeremy Larson Interview". Metromix Ozarks. January 14, 2009. Archived from the original on July 23, 2009.
  9. "New Orleans rock band MuteMath finally jelling". Inside Bay Area. May 27, 2009.
  10. "Album Title Released!". MuteMath.com. May 27, 2009. Archived from the original on June 5, 2009.
  11. "MUTEMATH PREPARE TO LAUNCH "ARMISTICE" ON AUGUST 18, 2009". MySpace.com. June 9, 2009. Archived from the original on July 7, 2009.
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