Numbers

Anyone who has seen Numbers live knows how fun and frenetic the group can be. This energy has translated well to disc, amazingly enough. Local bands—regardless of locale—sometimes have a problem with sounding too local, leaving those outside the specific scene scratching their heads. But Numbers seems to want to sound more local than any other band ever. So, here’s a dozen songs honed by countless shows in front of friends. Want proof? There’s a song called “We’re Numbers” in which the band members say their first names over a Casio beat until the chorus kicks in: “We’re Numbers!/It’s true.” On “Hot Fire,” the guitar and Moog synth do a call and response that only can be described as sounding broken. The album opener “Go to Show” sets the stage: “There are many bands that play,” Indra Dunis sings, “I go to see them everyday.” Sure, there are many bands that play, but few as interesting or worthwhile as Numbers.