6/10

Following on from their 2011 outing 'Odd Soul', US indie quartet Mutemath have returned to deliver their fourth studio album 'Vitals'. And while their catalogue to date had been on Warner Brothers affiliate Teleprompt, this new release will be the band's first full-length on new label Wojtek, and while that may not sound like much, it will have played a huge part in the artistic freedom the band would have had when writing this new material.

Ultimately, 'Vitals' comes across more as a variety of different ideas. Its opener, 'Joy Rides', sounds like a cross between Kavinsky's 'Drive' soundtrack and anything the Human League ever produced, while following it with the far more contemporary sounding 'Light Up' gives you an idea of where they are going with this new record. In the end, the album comes across as a mismatch of intentions and influences that while sometimes interesting and diverse, does make it difficult to really get you teeth into.

Despite its obvious flaws with pace, 'Vitals' does still show great promise for this long-standing outfit. Glossy singles like 'Monument' are the kind of output they are known for and it is great to see them still working with what they know.