5/11/08

album review: re-arranged


mates of state are an interesting band, a couple of people that love each other, animals, and singing together. they are coming out with a new album soon, and i happen to be on the short list of people that get an advance. that's not true, but i still have the new album, called re-arranged. since i got it i haven't really stopped listening to it, and i wasn't much of a mates fan in the past. this album feels good, like summer love and happiness and the type of sadness when even though you are sad you know that things will get better so it isn't so bad. 
for some reason when i review records i care a lot more about how it makes me feel than anything else. a good example of this is the arcade fire/david bowie "live at fashion rocks" EP. when win butler sings "children, don't grow up/ our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up" i care every time, because he means it, and i know what he means. that sounds stupid and corny but it's that emotional connection that i believe makes great music truly great. the mates of state album isn't really on that magnitude, but the opening track "get better" sweetly says "forget all your politics for awhile" and reminds me that sometimes, you just have to go outside and love summer. and that's what i'm going to do. 

new album

another favorite



2 comments:

Marni said...

true music has true soul, i agree. and Nature and the wreck is possibly my favorite of Mates.

Hayley Baum said...

Robert. You are easily the most talented blogger I have ever come in contact with. God Bless.