Mumps, Etc.

Mumps, Etc. is the fourth studio album by American band Why?.[10] It was released by Anticon in the United States on October 9, 2012 and by City Slang in Europe on October 8, 2012.[11]

Mumps, Etc.
Studio album by Why?
Released	October 9, 2012
Genre	Indie rock
Length	38:48
Label	Anticon City Slang
Producer	Josiah Wolf Yoni Wolf
Why? chronology
Sod in the Seed (2012) Mumps, Etc. (2012) Golden Tickets (2013)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	62/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The A.V. Club	B–[3]
Beats Per Minute	78/100[4]
Consequence of Sound	C–[5]
NME	7/10[6]
Paste	7.4/10[7]
Pitchfork	2.8/10[8]
Slant Magazine	[9]

Critical reception

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Mumps, Etc. received an average score of 62% based on 19 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[1]

Mike Lechevallier of Slant Magazine said, "Mumps, Etc. isn't a career-defining moment like Alopecia, but it's a celebratory return to form for Why?, reuniting the band with the key attributes that ignited their creativity in the first place."[9] Ryan Reed of Paste called it "their most layered, headphone-friendly set to date, utilizing an eight-member choir and a string quartet, not to mention plenty of harps, flutes and ass-blasting rhythms."[7]

Alarm included it on the "50 Favorite Albums of 2012" list.[12]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Jonathan's Hope"	3:17
2.	"Strawberries"	3:18
3.	"Waterlines"	3:33
4.	"Thirteen on High"	3:09
5.	"White English"	2:57
6.	"Danny"	1:28
7.	"Sod in the Seed"	4:43
8.	"Distance"	2:53
9.	"Thirst"	2:28
10.	"Kevin's Cancer"	2:24
11.	"Bitter Thoughts"	2:47
12.	"Paper Hearts"	4:08
13.	"As a Card"	1:43
Total length:		38:48

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

• Yoni Wolf – music, production, recording, mixing
• Josiah Wolf – music, production, recording
• Doug McDiarmid – music
• Eric Michener – claps
• James Kerr – flugelhorn
• Ryan Williams – double bass
• Kelsey Pickford – woodwinds
• Buffi Jacobs – cello
• Brandon Stewart – French horn
• Stephan Beall – violin, viola
• Laura Max – harp
• Elizabeth Knight – vocals
• Liz Wolf – vocals
• Andrew Broder – vocals
• Nathan Goodrich – vocals
• Brent 'Snake' Benedict – recording
• Graham Marsh (producer) – mixing
• John Hapesco IV – mastering

References

1. "Mumps, Etc. by Why?". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
2. Hoffman, K. Ross. "Mumps, Etc. - Why?". AllMusic. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
3. Butler, Will (October 9, 2012). "Why?: Mumps, Etc". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
4. Finlayson, Ray (October 3, 2012). "WHY? - Mumps, Etc". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
5. Arroyo, Steven (October 9, 2012). "Why? – Mumps, etc". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
6. Malone, Ailbhe (October 5, 2012). "Why? - 'Mumps, etc.'". NME. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
7. Reed, Ryan (October 9, 2012). "WHY?: Mumps, Etc". Paste. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
8. Cohen, Ian (October 9, 2012). "WHY?: Mumps, etc". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
9. Lechevallier, Mike (October 5, 2012). "Why?: Mumps, Etc". Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
10. "Exclusive: Download WHY?'s new EP in full, and watch the video for the self-deprecating title track". Fact. August 10, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
11. Battan, Carrie (July 30, 2012). "WHY? Announce New Album, Mumps, etc". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
12. Morrow, Scott (December 13, 2012). "ALARM's 50 Favorite Albums of 2012". Alarm. Retrieved July 22, 2018.

External links

• Mumps, Etc. at Discogs (list of releases)