Mates of State

Posted by Afton in Music.

Artist: Mates of State
Album: Re-Arrange Us
Label: Barsuk
Release date: May 20, 2008
Genre: Pop rock

There are many bands that try to outdo themselves with every new album. Likewise, there are many critics who bemoan that a band falls short of expectations or entrenches itself in a well-worn musical rut when a new release doesn’t appear to pole-vault over every project it’s done up to that point. But the Mates of State are not in the former category, nor am I in the latter.

Re-Arrange Us doesn’t break new ground; it’s familiar; it’s more laid-back; and maybe it even wanders into twee territory at times. But what’s wrong with that? The Mates don’t write bad songs, and the edgy blend of husband-and-wife duo Kori Gardner’s and Jason Hammel’s voices never gets old. For fans, it’s comforting and a minor thrill to hear new material, and for newcomers, there’s plenty to be excited about (especially if you like the New Pornographers).

The biggest difference fans will notice is the absence of the electric organ, which Gardner has replaced with a regular piano. The overall sound is synth-happy enough, but the noticeable lack of the Hammond B-3 pounding in the background means the creation of songs that tread more lightly, like “My Only Offer,” a swift but serious foray into the land of grown-up decision-making. The highlight might be “Now,” a cosmic bubble bath where adult concerns find resolution in a temper tantrum.

The themes of childishness and maturing are natural, considering the pair recently experienced the birth of their second daughter. But trading in atonality for sweetness and staccato for slickness doesn’t mean the end or even a low point for the Mates. For an indie-rock staple on their fifth release, they’re still going strong.

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