Customer Reviews

Numbers & Mumbles

5 star:		(12)
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"Numbers & Mumbles" is the sophomore effort from Brooklyn pop musician Eric Elbogen, better known as Say Hi To Your Mom. No sophomore slump, this is bar none one of the pop masterpieces of the first half of this decade.

Elbogen's first album (the superb but comparatively inferior "Discosadness") set up what he does-- a sort of lo-fi indie rock sound with clever, geek lyrics full of pop culture references and a sort of jaunty take on alternative angst. Its the lyrics that often make the songs-- concerns over hearing great records, science fiction metaphores, and lost love because of competitive video gaming. Add to that a sort of mid-90s jangly guitar with an early '80s new wave keyboard sound, and you've pretty much got this.

Remarkably, its his dive into seriousness with the album's closing tracks, the first a cover of "I'm So Tired" and the closer, "The Key of C", that is really superlative. The closer in particular, a song of fading love is just breathtaking.

But before we get there, there's eight songs of great goofy pop music-- the lo-fi rumble of "Pop Music Of the Future" bleeds into the almost glam "A Hit in Sweden". Both tracks are incredible slices of pop music, just amazing. Another album highlight is the very much evocative "Let's Talk About Spaceships", with its funky feel and deceptive non-serious exterior ("let's talk about spaceship or anything except you and me"), its another real standout on the album. Likewise, when the lyrics descend into purely goofy ("Super", "But She Beat My High Score", "Your Brains vs. My Tractorbeam"), Elbogen turns out his best performances-- all three have a sort of melancholy take to them and are geniuses of mood.

Its really hard to describe this album, it needs to be heard to be fully appreciated-- truth is, fans of intelligent pop of any form will probably love this. Essential listening.

Since the year of 2004 is closing near an end, i have compiled a list of my top fifteen greatest albums of the year. Numbers and Mumbles is my number one favorite album, maybe not even for this year, but the last five years also. Most great bands produce albums with a few flaws in them, a few songs that you always happen to skip and go to the next song. This album is solid all the way through, and even after you are done listening to it, you have to listen to it again. My favorite track would have to be "Lets Talk About Spaceships" and my second favorite is "But She Beat My High Score." You might assume by the title of the band that they are very cheesy and terrible, but if you pick up this cd, you will be astonished at how wonderful they really are. Definitely recommend it to everyone who is in the indie rock scene. A must have.

This is the best album I've listened to in the last year.. really! I've played it so much that every track is on the Top-25 played list on my iPod/iTunes. I would love to try to classify it or compare it so other bands, but I really can't think of a comparison that would do this album justice.. get it, you won't be disappointed.

Along with Bishop Allen and the Weakerthans, I just can't get "Say hi to your mom"'s Numbers & Mumbles out of my rotation. Catchy (and insightful?) lyrics mixed with great synth-pop. Really top-notch album.

I just met Eric last night at the SHTYM concert in Washington, PA where there was me, my brother, my girlfriend, and three other people in the audience. Talk about a private concert from one of your favorite bands. I don't know what the world has come to where only six people show up for a concert by a band this good. Eric was incredibly nice and honest, he even went and they played the whole set, and we were literally the first people EVER (he said) to hear material for the new album, Ferocious Mopes (coming in May). They rock. The following is a snippet from my review of Numbers and Mumbles for my crappy college's paper.

The music should speak for itself, and it does. Warm electronics buzz all around the album, combining with drum machines, organs, the general instruments, and his low "barely singing" style to generate one of the best albums of the year. His lyrics are top-notch, personal and universal at the same time, nonsensical yet meaningful. "You're still mad that I copied your haircut/ I'm still hoping you won't notice" means more than you think it does.
The standout track is "Super," a simple backlash against popular culture's emphasis on materialism and superficiality. "The boss is glad you please the clients" he sings over a droning, Grandaddy-ish pulse. "You'll read your paper/while little Bob and Janie stay between the lines" is not meant to be cute and homely (think of a greeting card commercial), but vitriolic and judgmental.
Overtly aware of the power of words, what better way to point out their power than ironically- "whats that saying again/ they're only words and words cant kill me?" he mumbles on "Let's Talk About Spaceships." No they can't, but they can surely make things confusing.

eric elbogen, lead for say hi to your mom is amazing whether he is bearded or cleanshaven! I love this album, it might even be better than discosadness, which is a bold statement considering it's my favorite album of all time. I highly recommend this aural delight to fans and non-fans out there. you'll only know how good it is if you buy the album...or download a free mp3...but then you should buy the album to support the band so they can continue to make great music. if you see eric around NYC go up and give him a hug, he's making the world a better place each day.

This is probably the best album I have heard this year. I think Eric Elbogen's sense of style and lyrical content makes this album a necessity in the collection. My only wish is to hear more flexibility in Eric's vocals, as seen in Laundry from Discosadness. Also, if you purchase the album from sayhitoyourmom.com you get a cool robot sticker, which I in turn converted into a fridge magnet!

I love this cd so much I wish I could marry it and have more cd's like this

I saw these guys play with The Wrens at The Crocodile in Seattle and they blew me away: amazing melodies, intresting lyrics and cool, fun sounds.

Not much to add that the other reviewers haven't said already. This is a great band with great tunes. I hope they stay independent and keep writing great music.