Mates of State

“Bring it Back” (Barsuk)

Sounds like: New Pornographers, The Postal Service

REVIEW: 4 / 5

In short: Mates of State seems to have hit musical puberty, growing in musical skill and refinement. An organ and drums duo has never sounded so good.

Husband and wife duo Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner have gotten a heck of a lot better since founding Mates of State in 1997. They have the rare gift of being a pair that really clicks. Their voices sound like they were custom made by some higher deity to sing together, and “Bring it Back” proves that the pair has finally perfected its sound.

Although the organ will likely never replace the guitar as rock’s instrument of choice, Mates of State intricately layers its vocals and organ to such an extent that it doesn’t sound like anything is lacking, despite the fact that the duo lacks half the instruments of a typical rock band.

“Bring it Back” features the band’s fullest-sounding – and lengthiest – songs to date. In-depth studio production has allowed the band to layer and perfect track after track and truly bump its sound up to the next level.

The overall lyrical theme in “Bring it Back” is a little more mature than the band’s previous albums. Combined with high-quality candy-pop arpeggios, creatively syncopated drums and lovably obnoxious vocals, the album could be prescribed as the perfect remedy to kick back and relax to after a long, grueling day in the office.

“Bring it Back” has an infectious sound that gets continually more likable with each consecutive listen. Although it is not likely to enter the spotlight of American pop-music culture, Mates of State is sure to make a buzz with this album.

– Dan McClanahan