Mates of State - Mountaintops (2011) [FLAC] politux

By the time they released Mountaintops in 2011, Mates of State had been a band for over a decade, a span of time that most bands would find impossible to cover without becoming stale or completely losing the plot. Kori Gardner (keyboard/vocals) and Jason Hammel (drums/vocals) somehow manage to sound both fresh and focused on their sixth album. Writing a batch of songs that have a sharp emotional punch, tons of hooks, and a real-life lyrical angle certainly helps. So does the almost inexhaustible amount of energy and spirit the duo bring to their playing and singing. The level of passion they exhibit seems more like what you would expect from a band on their first or second album, not a band whos been around long enough to see styles shift and change, and countless bands come and go, while they keep cranking out the high-quality indie rock. Gardner and Hammel also know how to make records that sound great, stacking all sorts of interesting keyboards on top of the steady drums to get a layered but direct sound that leaps out of the speakers in a way that a more produced album might not be able to.

Released: Sept 13, 2011
Genre: Rock
Style: Indie
Source: CD
Codec: FLAC
Channles: Stereo
Sample Rate: 44,100 Hz
Bit Rate: ~960 kbps
Bits per Sample: 16
Covers: Front

Tracks:

1. Palomino
2. Maracas
3. Sway
4. Unless Im Led
5. Total Serendipity
6. Basement Money
7. At Least I Have You
8. Desire
9. Change
10. Mistakes

More info:

Allmusic album review