The 90 Day Men are one of the many bands that have, in previous lives, taken themselves way to seriously. They probably still do. Their last album was called (It (Is) It) Critical Band, which just was a pain in the ass to say on air, because DJs weren’t aware of what to pronounce and what not to pronounce. Also, like many hardcore-math-punk bands, they just simply made angular, inaccessible music. They will never be accused of selling out.

And on their latest album, To Everybody, the Men don’t do that to themselves. Gone are the harder songs that have inhabited their previous work. Instead are a lot of piano and some very long songs. Have the 90 Day Men sold out? Hardly.

Instead, they have crafted an album that works as well as background music as it does as in the foreground. Instead of incessant monotone, Singer Brian Case really sings on a few tracks, including the non-cover, “Last Night, a DJ Saved my Life.” Instead of accusing fans of being primadonnas, Case croons “I loved you.”

The piano present in “Saint Theresa in Ecstasy” is near perfect. Instead of sending a barrage of guitar at the listener (as most math rock and harder punk does), the Men deliver a 8 minute song that devolves into repetitive, emotive, piano and guitar interchanging. The bass thumps and the guitar rolls, and the song is a perfect snapshot of the album; heartfelt, but not sappy. Not slow, but not rocking.

The excellent wah-wah guitar of “We Blame Chicago” makes for a near-perfect instrumental. The piano introduction of “Alligator” works off the “Imagine you’re a bear” lyric better than most pianos in indie-rock.

The 90 Day Men have evolved out of being a math-rock or a hardcore band into something more general: just a really good band. Instead of trying to sound like Shellac and all things Albini, they have taken the same trek as many and added production, more song writing, and have come out far ahead. With To Everybody, The 90 Day Men have hit their stride.

- Ross Gianfortune