Math and Physics Club - In This Together: EPS, B-Sides, Rarities and Unreleased Songs 2005-2015

  by Dixie Ernill

published: 3 / 7 / 2016

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Review

'In This Together' is basically a round-up of the band's early EPs and B-sides, but a corking new track, 'Coastal California, 1985' that opens this essential compilation, proves that the band’s songwriting has progressed without losing any of the charm that made them such a wonderful prospect when they appeared on the scene in 2005 with a debut EP entitled 'Weekends Away'. The track listing interestingly starts with the newer songs and works back to the aforementioned debut, but such is the quality of the sixteen tracks that make up this record that you could begin and end it anywhere. For those unenlightened to the delights of Math and Physics Club this is the perfect starting point as, unlike lesser bands, they have not held back their better songs for LPs and have instead packed every EP with ace-ness and sneaked little gems onto B-sides. Musically, the band have clearly been raised on a diet of the finest indie bands and are not ashamed to wear their influences proudly on their chests (which is not a bad thing here). The Smiths/Morrissey shine brightly on 'When We Get Famous”, 'Graduation Day' and 'Nothing Really Happens', while Belle and Sebastian certainly infuse both the title track and 'Baby I’m Yours'. There’s also a nod to Jens Lekman on 'Sixteen And Pretty' and 'Across the Paper', but it is the songs that aren’t as easily traceable that leave the biggest mark such as 'Do You Keep A Diary?', 'The Sound of Snow' and 'Coastal California, 1985', all of which are pure joy. If like me, you have worn out your Lucksmiths records, then this album is definitely one for you. Indeed 'Weekends Away' not only steals its title from the opening line of the Lucksmiths’ 'Southernmost”, but also takes inspiration from their classic 'A Year of Driving Languorously'. I’ve not even got round to mentioning probably one of Math and Physics Club’s best loved songs – the sweet jangle of 'Movie Ending Romance', but I want to get out into the sunshine, wind the windows down and drive down leafy country lanes heading to a forgotten sandy cove with this album as my soundtrack. So far this is easily the best compilation album of the year and quite possibility the only one you’ll need in 2016.

Track Listing:-

1 Coastal California, 1985
2 It Must Be Summer Somewhere
3 Across the Paper
4 Our Own Ending
5 The Sound of Snow
6 Do You Keep a Diary
7 In This Together
8 Baby I'm Yours
9 Movie Ending Romance
10 White and Grey
11 Graduation Day
12 Love, Again
13 When We Get Famous
14 Nothing Really Happened
15 Sixteen and Pretty
16 Weekends Away

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/mathandphysic
http://www.mathandphysicsclub.com/
http://www.last.fm/music/Math+and+Phys

Label Links:-

http://fikarecordings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/fikarecording
https://twitter.com/fikarecordings
http://www.last.fm/label/Fika+Recordin
https://www.youtube.com/user/fikarecor