The Night I Was an Alpha Male is the best-sounding release from the upstart Chicago band Mathien yet. My only complaint is that this production gloss seems to smooth down the sharp edges that make Mathien such an interesting and exciting live band. The songs are lyrically clever, the rhythm section grooves like a well-oiled machine and lead singer Chris Mathien is not afraid to go out of his comfort zone to discover new vocal chops. Still, I feel like these songs yearn for a little more analog warmth.
Mathien debuted in 2007 with Head Heart and Hands, with most tracks initially laid down in lead singer/songwriter Chris Mathien's college dorm room using whatever tools he could get his hands on. While the album was stylistically all over the board, charm and cleverness were in abundance. The 2010 followup Hello Again featured several of the same songs, this time recorded in a studio with what has become the band's signature lineup.
One of the best facets of Mathien is their willingness to experiment with a wide variety of genres, sometimes combing them in the same song. Rock swagger, hip-hop beats, funk grooves and hints of jazz are stamped all over their catchy, if sometimes odd, lyrical subject matter. The Night I Was An Alpha Male continues this multifaceted approach, but it steers more in the direction of funk than anything else - with a few notable exceptions. This funk formula works best on "Jamie's Son" (a take on the name of Jameson Irish Whiskey, perhaps?) and "You'll Never Learn."
The funk vibes are great, but this album shines the most when it steers away from funk's long-traveled trade routes and dares to venture into more uncharted waters. The opening track, the namesake "The Night I Was An Alpha Male," opens the album with a playful, almost Queen-like pop feel that will have you bouncing your head along in no time. "Lettuce Head" layers on rock guitars and riffs, while the slower "Cocaine Ballad" (a revised edition of the song from Head Heart and Hands) shows what quality studio time and good production can do for a track with slow-burning potential.
My personal favorite is "Rub It In," which adds some soulful longing to the vocals to craft a great pop song. It's easy to relate to the feeling of insecurity mixed with longing when an ex-lover twists the knife in deeper at every opportunity: "I would love to change/Love to change your mind/But I ain't gonna waste my time/Especially when all you want to do/Is just rub it in."
Lyrically, Mathien is at its best. Topics range from party life in the big city to heavier matters like watching a friend affected by drug use and dealing with a lover's abusive ex-boyfriend, all delivered with a wonderfully quirky sense of humor. While the lyrics are as witty and clever as ever, I fear that the polish of digital production may be wearing down too much of the edge. Many tracks would be simply fantastic with less digital harshness and more vintage, organic Stax-style analog (a la Raphael Saadiq or the Black Keys).
I have a biting suspicion that less shine and more darkness would enhance Mathien's groove-laden sound in a big way.
Song picks:
"Rub It In"
"Jamie's Son"
"Games and Lies"
"The Cocaine Ballad"
