Multiplexor – “Some New Air”

“Some New Air certainly does a good job at living up to its name. . .” -PW

Peterson Worrell

7.5
out of 10

Multiplexor
Some New Air
December 31, 2014
Self Released

Without a doubt, it appears that 2013 was the year of the “emo revival.” Personal views on the term aside, it does seem like several bands are looking back to older bands like Texas is the Reason and Braid for influence and direction. Based out of Newnan, GA, Multiplexor is a three piece outfit that seeks to combine the resurging emo mentality with a pop-punk edge in order to bring something new to the table for the genre.

Formed in 2011, Multiplexor is the creation of Kyle Coleman, a Georgia local who originally formed Multiplexor as a solo project in which he performed all instrumentation himself. Later on, Coleman added on his high school friends PJ Elias and Nathan Stone and the band as it currently is was formed. Their debut album, If I Told You Everything, was released in 2011 and the band has been performing their unique brand of emotional punk music from then on. Their follow up album to If I Told You Everything, Some New Air, offers a strong second effort to the bands highly praised debut.

Multiplexor’s Some New Air opens up with Hurry, which quickly transitions from a slightly math-rock influenced intro into a sound that’s borrows heavily from post-hardcore elements and throws a bit of pop-punk influence into the mix. The combination makes for an interesting mix that not a lot of bands are playing around with currently. The sound topped with heavily emotional lyrics make for a great combination, weaving intricate instrumentation beneath the pop-punk like vocals. Following Hurry comes Tenth, a decidedly poppier track that still throws in a bit of a mathy breakdown to a great effect. The pop influence on the album is definitely apparent, however, the emotional elements of the lyrics have a much more profound influence on the album as a whole. Lines such as “Even though we call this home, you and I agree we should get out while we can; knowing all this time that we still have a chance to give our burdens some new air to breathe…” from South serve as a definite reminder that the album is coming from some dark and personal experiences. Much of the rest of the album, such as standout tracks Eighteen, Flare, and Waste, follows this same delicate balancing act, transitioning from technical breakdowns to pop inspired riffs. While the transitions can take a little getting used to, the end result works fairly well.

Some New Air is a strong album, but, it most certainly takes some getting used to. Certain tracks like Tenth and Enough I love and couldn’t imagine skipping. Others, like Recession, have elements that I question, but in the end, I enjoyed those tracks overall and tended to overlook the subjective imperfections that I found within them. While the delivery of some lines may put some off, the underlying catharsis found within the meaning behind those lyrics is truly where Some New Air shines. When combined with the sometimes poppy, sometimes overtly technical playing style of the band, the lyrics work to form a great effect overall. I’d say that Some New Air certainly does a good job at living up to its name; in the face of a slew of bands billing themselves as “emo”, Multiplexor’s sophomore album delivers something unique and pleasing in scene that is quickly becoming saturated with bands that are simply “okay”.

While Multiplexor currently doesn’t have any shows planned (at least according to their Facebook page) be sure to check out their BandCamp page where you can check out Some New Air as well as some of their previous work.