Imaginary Numbers is the fourth EP and seventh release by American rock band The Maine. It was released on December 10, 2013.[1] The EP peaked at number 31 on the US Independent Albums chart.[2]

Imaginary Numbers
EP by
ReleasedDecember 10, 2013
GenreAcoustic rock
Length21:27
Label8123
ProducerThe Maine
The Maine chronology
Forever Halloween
(2013)
Imaginary Numbers
(2013)
American Candy
(2015)

Background and composition

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On October 30, 2013, the group announced that they would be releasing an acoustic EP titled, Imaginary Numbers.[3] The EP was written and produced by the band themselves.[4] On November 5, 2013, the group released the track, "Raining in Paris".[5] Along with the song's release, the group also announced an acoustic tour that began in January 2013.[6] The day before the EP's release, the group premiered the song "Perfectly Out of Key".[7] The group released a lyrics video for "Visions" on December 10, 2013.[8]

On December 8, 2013, "The Making of Imaginary Numbers" video was uploaded on The Maine's YouTube channel.[9]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Alternative Press     [10]
Kill Your Stereo     [11]

Imaginary Numbers was met with positive reviews from music critics. Scott Heisel of Alternative Press gave a positive review for the EP praising the first track "Raining in Paris" for O'Callaghan's "wistful yarn with fragile vocals over a delicate guitar-and-organ arrangement." He also called the third track "Perfectly Out of Key", "an extremely high point."[10]

Kill Your Stereo praised the EP lyrically stating, "you'll see that the lyrics are, in fact, incredibly real, and they are an obvious reflection of whatever stage the writer was going through when writing these songs, and the result is more than just some great lyrics, it's something that is incredibly relatable as well."[11]

Nathan Cornell of Into the Crowd magazine called the EP, "a mostly sad album, but John O'Callaghan wears the sad song very well. If you're into stripped down rock 'n' roll, you need to listen to this."[4]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Raining in Paris"3:47
2."Room With No Windows"3:44
3."Perfectly Out of Key"3:58
4."Visions"4:26
5."Lovely Sad"6:52
Total length:21:27

Charts

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Chart performance for Imaginary Numbers
Chart (2013) Peak
position
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[12] 23
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[2] 31
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[13] 39

References

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  1. ^ "Imaginary Numbers - EP by the Maine". Apple Music. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "The Maine Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  3. ^ "The Maine Announce Acoustic EP". Stitched Sound. October 30, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Cornell, Nathan. "REVIEW: The Maine – Imaginary Numbers EP". Into The Crowd Magazine. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  5. ^ "The Maine Raining In Paris (Official Lyric Video)". YouTube. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  6. ^ Michele Bird (November 6, 2013). "The Maine announce acoustic tour dates, release new song". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on November 7, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  7. ^ Cassie Whitt (December 9, 2013). "Song Premiere: The Maine, Perfectly Out Of Key". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  8. ^ Michele Bird (December 10, 2013). "The Maine post Visions lyric video". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  9. ^ "The Maine | The Making of "Imaginary Numbers"". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
  10. ^ a b Scott Heisel (December 9, 2013). "The Maine - Imaginary Numbers EP". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Album Review: The Maine - 'Imaginary Numbers'". Kill Your Stereo. December 23, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  12. ^ "The Maine Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  13. ^ "The Maine Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
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