SUCH FINE PARTICLES OF THE UNIVERSE

I thought I should review the debut of Minnesota's own BUBBLEMATH as they've just released the followup to this some 15 years later! I was happy to see Kev Rowland mention CARDIACS in his review of their new one because I kept thinking of them almost throughout this whole album. The hyper and energetic sound and especially the vocals. Not exactly a style I'm into but it's hard not to appreciate how complex the instrumental work is, these guys are outstanding! But I always grew tired of this album before it ended, just my tastes in music. So while I agree with a lot of what Phil(Man With Hat) says in his review I can't round up to 4 stars like he did. I'm in the minority though so I would recommend anyone who's into Avant/ Pop to please check this band out.

These guys have an amazing sense of humour as seen in the song titles. "Miscreant Citizen" opens with atmosphere that builds then it kicks into a full sound. Vocals come in almost yelling the lyrics. It settles down after a minute but contrasts will continue. "Be Together" is maybe the best song on here. A mid-paced tune with an excellent guitar intro as the vocals join in. Piano as well then more guitar after 1 1/2 minutes as the vocals step aside. Nice bass and drum work too. Some fantastic instrumental sections here. A calm 4 minutes in with piano only as reserved vocals join in. It's cool the way it builds to the end.

"Dancing With Your Pants Down" really reminds me of CARDIACS vocally. Lots going on instrumentally. Not a big fan of this one overall. "She's No Vegetarian" reminds me of the STRAY CATS and man I can't stand that band. "Doll Hammers" is catchy and uptempo and actually reminds me of 3RD DEGREE. A calm with piano 1 1/2 minutes in, cymbals too. A music box ends it.

"TV Paid Off" is one I'm not into because of the vocal style. "Help Yourself To A Neighbor" opens with almost whispered vocals in an Avant soundscape. The vocals do get fuller along with the overall sound as the tempo picks up. CARDIACS come to mind here. "Forever Endeaver" is CARDIACS-like with the high energy and vocals. "Heavenly Scared So" is uptempo with impressive instrumental work as per usual.

"Your Disease Is Nicer" has a powerful intro as passionate vocals join in. "The Potential People" is close to being my favourite track but certainly is number two(haha). This is more laid back for a change including the vocals. Well at least for 1 1/2 minutes. I still like this as it picks up. Some crazy outbursts too. Nice guitar before 4 minutes and check out that bass. "Cells Out" is my final top three song on here. A catchy tune with keys, bass and drums standing out early with vocals before it turns more powerful including the vocals. Contrasts continue.

CARDIAC fans should love this debut from BUBBLEMATH. Certainly fans of the popular Avant/Pop we seem to be hearing a lot of the last several years will want to investigate.