Hailing from Phoenix, United States, the man and the legend who is the face of the collective ‘Victims of the New Math’, Thomas Young is a legend in the making and needs your immediate attention. A maestro specializing in a multitude of instruments like guitars, keyboards, bass and drums to name a few. As someone who single-handedly stirring the pot of creativity by fusing indie and lo-fi rock for more than 20 years now, the project is originally a creative duo that includes Thomas and his brother Joe. Formed with the aim to capture the classic energy of AM rock sounds they grew up loving, Thomas has been a driving force steering the wheel of creativity with his great hand in writing.
With every track bringing a newer set of emotions to the surface, this album has got a beautiful progression to it and is a testament to artist’s versatility.
We start with a bang with our first track ‘The Run Up’. What feels like an ode to the distorted paranoia realms of punk rock from the 80s, like Nirvana’s, this is a nice build-up that gives your brain the signal that your mind is going to explode going forward. ‘You’re a Star’ the mood of the track completely shifts from adventure to reflective motivation. Reminding the listeners that no matter the odds or differences, all of them are truly stars. Also creating an eerie atmosphere by reminding you that nothing lasts forever, this is heartfelt and surreal. ‘Only in My Dreams’ feels like an extension of this feeling. Borrowing from the heaviness of the previous track, this is reminiscent of the gloominess and nostalgia that one carries as they go through different chapters of their life.
Inspiring you by talking to the you that resides beneath your skin, besides all your fears, ‘Be What You Want’ is not just any other motivational track that reminds you to feel loved and confident, most importantly, comfortable in your own skin. This is raw, unhinged and feels like a rush of serotonin in your veins. While’Time Flies’ carries forward the similar energy but feels like a further tempered down, mellow version of the happiness with a touch of nostalgia, ‘We Can Be Anthing’ and ‘Believe in Me’ are like deja vu moments, and feels like the aftermath of the motivation from ‘Be What You Want’.
The mood of the album shapeshifts into an electric menace with ‘It’s You That Wanted More’. Explaining the overwhelming rush of emotions one feels as they go through the dilemma of losing something to grab a hold of another in life. Reminding you that romantic interests come and go, but they leave behind an afterthought, especially when its the other person that wanted it more. Weekend vibes kick in with ‘Every Day Is Saturday’. A happy, relaxing and soulful number dedicated to the love of his life, this is a pure punch of sunshine and joy. Drawing in mystery with its heavy bass conundrums, ‘The Run Out’ is a distilled, daunting yet beautiful break from all the energy we witnessed before. The preparation of a different journey starts with the paramount track ‘The Packing List’. Adorable moment of planning to escape, this feels like a rush of adrenaline down your spine. Last but not the least, ‘Return to the Universe’ is mellow goodbye, reminding you where there is will there is way. I loved every single track here, and I believe so will you!
We had a chance to interview Victims of the New Math. Here’s how the conversation went:
1. You have been making indie and lo-fi rock for over 20 years, yet this album still feels fresh and adventurous. What keeps that creative excitement alive for you?
There are a couple of things that keep the creative excitement going for me. One, I am still learning so much about recording, how to do things the right way, and the cool new sounds I can make. If you go back to the first record I did by myself in 2016 (Satellite Head), it’s sonically a lot more primitive than what I am doing now. But I’ve learned so much, and each new recording is a chance to make a better-produced, better-written song than I’ve ever done before. And the next album I do will probably improve the sound of my current record. I love seeing that progression in my work.
The other thing is, I feel like there are so many songs still to write. I get excited about the opportunity each time I sit down and start a new record. I challenge myself to make a better record than the last one, and to write songs that I will want to listen to for a long time. And I think I really captured that with this record.
2. The album moves through garage rock, indie-pop, psychedelic, and lo-fi sounds so naturally. Did you want it to feel like an emotional and sonic journey?
Some of that is just how all of the influences come out- I was listening to a lot of early solo Paul McCartney (McCartney, Ram) and Robert Pollard / Guided By Voices mid-90’s records (Not in My Airforce, Under the Bushes Under the Stars)- those records really have some cool things going on. But also I really wanted the record to have some diversity in sound and feeling – I didn’t want to get hung up too much on one type of lyric or one type of song or genre. I wanted it to be an experience. And I think the recording style really ties things together and gives them some commonality. But there’s a lot of variety in the message, the emotions, and music happening on the album.
3. The themes touch on love, loss, fame, and hope, but the music never feels too heavy. How do you balance vulnerability with uplifting energy?
I really try hard to be positive. I grew up the classic angsty teen in the 80’s, and when the 90’s and grunge hit, I really embraced the negativity of the messaging. But as I’ve gotten older and raised kids (and dealt with some of their negativity), I’ve found myself not only appreciating optimism, but I’ve grown to honestly feel more optimistic. And trust me, sometimes there’s not a lot happening in the world to be optimistic about, so it takes a lot. I think there is a duality to the lyrics and music that comes from all of that experience and that arc– me starting out being down and heavy, but then trying to brighten things up and push myself to be positive. Sometimes it happens all in one song.
4. Since the album was self-recorded and produced, how do you personally decide when a song finally feels complete?
Sometimes I just know – I’ve heard it in my head before recording, and I’ve gotten the sound close enough to be happy with it. Sometimes, I have no idea where I’m going with a song, but I’ll know when I’m done – it just sounds right to me. But more often than not, I need to get my wife involved– she’s a good sounding board on if a song sounds done, or if it needs something more, or most importantly if the lyrics are good. And usually it’s the lyrics that keep me from thinking a song is done. I really want the lyrics to mean something, and if I’m missing that, I won’t move forward until I get it right.
5. The record feels nostalgic and vintage-inspired while still sounding modern. What keeps you drawn to those classic rock textures?
It’s what I’ve always known best. I grew up on Top 40 radio and classic rock, going back as early as the mid-70’s when my mom would take me on errands with her and have the radio on. And I’ve always come back to that classic rock sound. I’ve been a huge Beatles fan most of my life, and their catalog guides a lot of what I am trying to do. It’s always in the back of my mind when I’m writing and recording.
6. After this release, what are you most excited about next, whether it is live shows, new music, or future collaborations?
I’m really excited to get back in the studio and start making new music – it’s my favorite thing to do. But I also want to play live more. I mostly have played just for friends, and I did some Instagram live shows, but getting out in front of an audience to play my songs is something I feel like I need to do. The trick is rearranging everything for just vocal and guitar – there’s always a lot going on in my recordings, most of which I can’t reproduce by myself on stage.
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