13 January 2006

mates of state - "think long" (from the bring it back lp, album available march 21; visit the band's official website here.)

on "think long," mates of state sound like a pre-teen cheerleading competition, the fall w/ electric pianos, and playground bullies--little then has changed for their debut on barsuk. they remain too much of a good thing; i wonder if i picked the opening track b/c i like it best or b/c exhaustion set in as the album progressed. they're a wee bit precocious--think the kids from 'zoom' all grown up--and close to being too clever for their own good--witness the opening chords from "don't stop believin'" burbling under the song's coda--but at their best, as heard here, they're finger-snappin' catchy and you'd want them playing at your next sleepover. you'll either love it or think it sounds like kidz bop. in which case, you might still love it.

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