Bring It Back (CD)
Mates of State's unique, often complex, and always catchy pop gems defy genre boundaries. This husband/wife duo has released three previous full-lengths as well as numerous singles and EPs. Though a duo, they never fail to generate an abundance of melody and harmony via monster, bass-heavy organ, creative drumming, and alternately lushly layered and playfully dueling vocals. "Bring It Back" is Mates Of State at their complex yet lighthearted best: impeccably layered music that rewards attention, analysis, and repeated listens, but that's also instantly enchanting, drawing you in at once with hook upon incredible hook.
| Tracklisting | |
| Disk | 1 | |
| 1 | Think Long |
| 2 | Fraud in the '80s |
| 3 | Like U Crazy |
| 4 | Beautiful Dreamer |
| 5 | What It Means |
| 6 | For the Actor |
| 7 | Nature and the Wreck |
| 8 | So Many Ways |
| 9 | Punchlines |
| 10 | Running Out |
| str๘mdal, kjell sander
- skien, , norway |
| POP HEAVEN! This amazing album makes you happy, all the way to the last track! | |
| Michael Britten
- Keansburg, NJ, USA |
| The power of Mates of State's catalogue is that their songs more than just draw you in, but can make you want to become a part of them. That's no simple feat, and possibly on account of their husband-and-wife partnership and reliance on one another, Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel are capable of weaving songs that reach out in embrace. As past successes have gone to show, and what Bring It Back echoes, is that if you are willing to put in the effort, things will work, and everything will be peachy keen. I don't think there's a sweeter, more traditional marital ethic than that. | |
| Sarah Conley
- Redondo Beach, CA, USA |
| "Let's fall in love shall we?" "Okay, let's." Mates of State's fourth full length Bring It Back makes the listener want to go out and have a conversation like that (perhaps even at a Mates live show). From the opening sounds of "Think Long" to the hidden track "How Hard" (oops, did I ruin the surprise) this album shows a new Mates of State. While their first album My Solo Project is lauded for its raw intensity, Bring it Back is a nuanced and layered gem, proving the Mates' prowess in the studio as well as the stage. By far the duo's most accessible record, maybe they will finally get the mainstream attention their innovation (and cuteness) deserves; after all it seems like every decent Barsuk band is on mainstream radio now. I can't wait. | |
|
| shannon ronan
- long island, NY, usa |
| Mates of State bring it back on March 21st with their fourth studio release. The first track, which extends over six minutes, winds down with both halves of the cutesy couple engaging in a "tired of singing" chant. But if the band is tired, you would never know it by listening to the rest of the album. Whatever they've been practicing for the past few years, they have finally perfected it.
Bring It Back has all of the familiar components: the infectious keyboards, the unobtrusive drums, and the make-you-melt harmonies we've all come to know and love, but this time Kori and Jason seem out to prove that they can also hold their own. And they can. Remember when Jason covered Nico's "These Days" (for the eerily good Wicker Park soundtrack) and you thought to yourself, why is he not singing more? Well, we've all gotten our wish. He gets his own song, "What It Means", which is possibly the best moment of the album if only because it's stark, sparklehorse awkwardness and grandiose spiritualized choruses, stray so completely from the typical MOS sound. Other noteworthy tracks include the catchy "For The Actor" and also what I predict will be the live favorite "So Many Ways". | |
| 7/7 | 900X Library Catalog Music Series |
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| 7/7 | Casey Foubert/James McAlister Library Catalog Music Series |
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