Unforgivable Faults? Nonsense. Experiment with Mates of State.
Written: Oct 03 '03 (Updated Oct 04 '03)
Product Rating:
Pros: See review.
Cons: The album cover is yellow. My only (albeit completely inconsequential) complaint.
The Bottom Line: A tremendous addition to the MOS library and their best album thus far. Long time fans will be all over this, while new fans will find it the perfect introduction.
These are the adjectives you hear most when talking about indie/emo/pop idols Mates of State. Ask anyone who's ever listened to this (insert above mentioned adjective HERE) two-piece before and they'll agree. There's just something really special about this band and the sound they create. I'd say it's nothing short of magical.
So when their third and latest full length hit shelves last month, it was a given that I'd be first in line to pick it up. Having heard a handful of the new songs when I saw them live last February, I was expecting the new album to be the best of their career so far. Perhaps a lofty expectation considering how much I adore their first two releases, but then, Mates of State isn't your average band of talentless slouches. And the new material I'd heard back in Februrary was unbelievably exciting.
As hoped, Team Boo met my expectations wonderfully... and then actually exceeded them. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that this is their best and most consistently enjoyable work to date.
Mates of State is the marriage of Kori Gardner on keyboard, organ and piano and Jason Hammel on drums, with both providing vocals. Considering the band is the artistic representation of a literal marriage (The two tied the knot in 2001) it is perhaps no surprise that the music they make is almost universally hailed as the aural equivalent of pure love. Listening to an MOS album, or better yet attending a live performance, is a wonderfully uplifting and joyful experience. Team Boo embraces this tradition of joy and expands on it.
The first thing I noticed when opening up my new Team Boo cd was the album design. For the first time, the band has included pictures of themselves in the album art. (Not counting the Polyvinyl reissue of My Solo Project which featured a new picture of the band taken last year.) You might not see the inclusion of photographs as anything significant, but I view it as a reflection of the overall growth and new found confidence that defines this album. For those fans who've never seen the band live, suddenly there are faces to attach to those voices. There are images that embrace the bands trademark cutesiness and playful creativity. And these new images convey a confidence that the band hasn't shown in the past.
Where last years Our Constant Concern explored the bands more insecure and wounded notions, Team Boo shamelessly dives head first into the wild giddiness of true love. As proclaimed in the final words of the albums first track Ha Ha: Who's dancing all around? We're dancing all around.
This is an album that celebrates life and encourages happiness in the listener. This isn't background music! From Sound it Off: Sound it off! Sound it off! Sound it off in threes! Set the rocks on fire! It gives you lots of joy! You've only just begun! You're playing with a loaded gun!
My favorite track (from an album of favorite tracks) is probably An Experiment, a song that perhaps hints most clearly at where Jason and Kori are as a band right now. Both experimental and traditional (traditional in the sense of what MOS has done on previous albums), An Experiment is a grand, booming reflection on growing out of the old and into the new. I said, "Don't put up a fight. 'Cause I know we all get older." Say, "Don't point out the faults cause you know I'm always older." Say, "Just put out the fight cause by now we've gotten older." This track also muses my single favorite line of the album: I wonder if I could tie the ocean to you knees. Accompanied with the triumphant blasting of trumpets, An Experiment is worth the price of admission alone.
This expanding growth isn't isolated to just one track either. You'll notice those horns all throughout the album, and the addition of lush, rolling piano accompaniment and other instruments is a subtle but very complimentary touch. Along with other instruments come the musicians that play them, and their contribution is just as welcomed. Listen closely for San Francisco indie legend and ex-MK Ultra singer John Vanderslice turning in some "group singing" with Paul Hoaglin!
Team Boo, as a whole, marks a more confident and settled turn for Mates of State. And by settled, I don't mean that they're resting on their laurels or taking the established route laid by their previous releases. On the contrary, Team Boo is probably their most daring and creative release thus far. By settled, I mean that they finally seem comfortable with their role as trailblazing indie/pop icons. It's extremely refreshing to hear an album that so unabashedly embraces its freshness and brilliance without ever coming off as arrogant.
At times Playful and silly, other times sincere and reflective, Team Boo is always completely confident and unapologetic in it's glee. This is an album to celebrate with.
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