Their take of "Sway," which is one my favorite Mates song these days, sort of makes me cringe; it just doesn't work when it's stripped down the way it is here. On the other hand, the soft and sweet "Desire" is a heart-melter; it reminds me of something that could have appeared on Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours," and I can't get enough of the album version ... "My Only Offer," I think, sounds good in any setup.
The opening paragraph of the accompanying story summarizes the music well ...
Mates of State's music isn't the stuff of unplugged busking in subway stations, or of singing listeners to sleep. It's big, broad and bold — voices shouting in unison over arrangements that swell and billow. In short, it may be too expansive to fit behind Bob Boilen's desk, let alone find an appropriate showcase at noontime on a fall day with lots of natural light.In part because of the night I had a few weeks ago, I'm on such a Mates of State kick right now -- I'm obsessed with "Mountaintops" -- it's getting to the point of rivaling 2007 when I spent nearly half the year listening to little else but The Shins' "Wincing the Night Away." ...
After all, Paste recently named "Mountaintops" one of the top 50 albums of the year. An even better review of the record appears at Sputnik Music.
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