''Math and Physics Club'' is the self-titled debut album by Seattle
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band
Math and Physics Club
Math and Physics Club are an American indie pop band based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Its members are Charles Bert (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Ethan Jones (bass, keyboards). James Werle played lead guitar until he died in 2018. Kevi ...
. The album was recorded over two days in early June 2006 at Seattle's
. Kevin Suggs, known for his work with
Cat Power
Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...
and
The Walkabouts
The Walkabouts were an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984. The core members were vocalist Carla Torgerson and vocalist and songwriter Chris Eckman. Although the rest of the line-up changed occasionally, for most of the time ...
, as well as for engineering live sessions for KEXP, engineered and co-produced the sessions.
The album was released to favorable reviews in October 2006.
Marc Hogan
Marc Hogan (born October 3, 1981) is an American journalist. He currently works as a senior staff writer at Pitchfork.
Hogan has been a music critic at Pitchfork since 2004. He has contributed to a number of other publications, including '' SPIN ...
, writing for
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
, declared that the album's "brazenly sweet songs of quiet heartbreak" ... "should get some warm looks from a new generation of tender-hearted, bookish music listeners."
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
declared ''Math and Physics Club'' the best indie pop album of 2006, with Dave Heaton writing that "the melodies are catchy but in a lasting, not disposable way; the lyrics are articulate, smart expressions of feelings (hope, heartbreak, sadness, wonder); the songs are played and arranged with such bare-bones grace that they begin to resemble Zen expressions of pop music's essence."
The band would continue working with Kevin Suggs at Avast! for their next EP, ''
Baby I'm Yours'', released the following year.
Track listing
#"Darling, Please Come Home" – 3:13
#"I Know What I Want" – 2:21
#"April Showers" – 2:32
#"Holidays and Saturdays" – 2:58
#"La La La Lisa" – 2:50
#"Look at Us Now" – 2:53
#"You'll Miss Me" – 3:15
#"Cold as Minnesota" – 3:09
#"Such a Simple Plan" – 2:46
#"Last Dance" – 2:37
External links
Official Math and Physics Club websiteKevin Suggs, engineer and producerPopMatters.com Best Indie Pop of 2006Pitchfork Media album review
2006 albums
Math and Physics Club albums
{{2000s-indie-pop-album-stub