Our Hearts Beat out Loud

After a less than stellar second album that fell short in a couple important departments, the three lads who make up Math and Physics Club return to form on 2013's Our Hearts Beat Out Loud. Giving their classic guitar pop sound a boost of energy on uptempo janglers like "We Won't Keep Secrets" and "Long Drag" was a good idea, and so was the attention they pay to detail in the arrangements. The injection of some country-pop twang here and there is an interesting surprise too, giving their sound some dimension. Most importantly though, the band managed to write a better batch of tunes that are more in line with their early singles. Full of understated storytelling and melodies that have all the rough edges carefully and lovingly polished off, the songs capture tiny moments of melancholy and tenderly felt emotions with a word, a perfect guitar line, or a gentle tug in Charles Bert's intimate vocals. The band isn't interested in big gestures, and for those who need their music to make big statements, this is a terrible place to look. If music that whispers in your ear and/or offers solace on a crummy day sounds better, then Math and Physics Club deliver exactly that on this album.