Mates of State are impossibly cute. I first saw them on a first date in Seattle a few years ago. If you're going to go on a date with an indie-rock girl, you could do worse for setting a romantic mood. Mates of State are a husband and wife duo, who don't claim to be brother and sister (you know who you are meg & jack). They play on stage facing each other, Kori (keyboards) and Jason (drums) gazing lovingly at each other throughout the show, whether they're harmonizing or trading lines.
Almost like you walked in on the cutest couple you know eating Sunday morning breakfast, reading the times.
It should go without saying that the date went well.
I'd put this song from Team Boo on a mix cd for a drive in a convertible on a beautiful spring day. I've always called the song "I'd color the sky with you", but that's because i'm a literal-minded doofus. They call it "Everyone needs an editor". It's true, you wise Mates, it's true.
Download it on the song title, or here.
If that floats your boat, try 'Haha', the Team Boo opener. The Vancouver Sun describes it thusly: 'Haha' is a mixture of sugar and spice that begins with a pretty piano intro, dives into a snare-bashing rhythm, slows down for a swirling organ line, reintroduces the beat, brings in a shout-y vocal duet, and goes into a little bit of circus-type music--all in the first couple of minutes. The icing, though, is the exuberant chorus, wherein Gardner and Hammel join voices for the lines "Who's dancing all around?/We're dancing all around."
If you want to dance all around, download 'haha', here.
allmusic ((( Bring It Back > Review ))): "The duo of Kori Gardner (various keyboards/vocals) and Jason Hammel (drums/vocals) have actually improved, and the album sports stronger songs, a fuller sound, more emotional weight, and an exuberant soul that spills out of the speakers like milk and cake at a kid's birthday party.
It's hard to pinpoint what makes this record more satisfying than the rest of their excellent back catalog. Perhaps it is the reliance on more piano than usual, maybe the richer vocals of Gardner, maybe the punchy and powerful production from Bill Racine, or that the band has added some guitar and bass to their sound. It's a combination of all that, but most of all it's the number of memorable songs, which count among some of the best of their career.
There are songs with choruses that inspire you to add your own heartfelt vocal contributions ('Fraud in the 80s,'), songs with spine-tingling dynamic shifts ('What It Means,' 'Think Long'), songs that make a fuzzed-out organ seem like the coolest possible instrument, ('Punchlines').
Mates of State started off their career as a kind of curiosity (no guitars!) but have grown into the kind of group where you can't wait to see what they will do next, even if it is only to release records like Bring It Back that strengthen and perfect their formula."
Download:
"Everyone needs an editor"
'haha'
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