Mae has a really great charity idea that they’ve implemented this year. For every month of 2009, Mae will release a song that can be purchased for a minimum of $1, with all proceeds going help build a house for Rhonda Floyd via Habitat for Humanity (they have $30,000 so far). This month’s song “Night/Day” is typical Mae in its elegant pop and feel-good lyrics. They’ve clearly got their mojo back, and owning the song is a must for any fan of the band. You can find more details about Mae’s idea here. You can listen to the full track at myspace and follow the links to download the current and previous 3 songs at their website.
mae
24
Apr 09
New Single: “Night/Day” by Mae
23
Apr 09
Destination: Beautiful (2003) by Mae
Mae
Destination: Beautiful
2003, Tooth & Nail
pop, rock
½
As the debut album of the band Mae, it’s really sad how good this album is in comparison to their most recent Singularity. Destination: Beautiful might be as pop and feel-good as its title implies, but it’s obviously the more honest and comfortable fit for this band. Elkins’s voice isn’t brilliant (as usual) but at least the songs are written with that fact in mind, and he isn’t forced to sound like a wailing cat when hitting the higher notes.
Sound-wise, the songs are a mix of pop and some rock, but they aren’t what you’d stylistically expect from this band. They’re obviously willing to take chances in their styles (every song has its distinct sound) and yet work to keep all of their songs cohesive to a certain extent. The biggest surprise is that they succeed; at the end of the album, you’ll realize that you’ve been on a sonic journey that was smoother and more eventful than most so-called concept albums. After hearing this and Singularity, I think Mae’s move from Tooth & Nail was the biggest mistake they made in their career. Somewhere along the line, this band lost their sincerity, charming naivete, and character.
“Summertime,” “Runaway,” “This Time Is The Last Time.”
myspace, last.fm
Mae’s Singularity, Provincial Park’s Iron Ponies EP
16
Oct 07
Singularity (2007) by Mae
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Genre: alternative/power pop Rating:  ½Check Out: “Home,” “Just Let Go,” “Crazy 8s,” “Brink of Disaster”  Myspace, Purevolume |
For a group of boys from Virginia, I’ll bet the opportunity to work with producer Howard Benson (Saosin, My Chemical Romance, Relient K) was pretty exciting. And it’s really no wonder, because Benson’s production shines far more than the music on this album. There are no real indie quirks, no wrong keys or cracking voices. Just smooth pop and some rock elements that crop up surprisingly from time to time. If you’re looking for an easy listen, this is it.
It’s difficult for me to put down this album that much, because while the lyrics are deplorable at times and lead singer Dave Elkins doesn’t have the best voice I’ve heard, he sings with confidence and most of the songs are ridiculously catchy. However, his vocal range really meets its match in “On Top,” where he hits a high note and literally sounds like a wailing cat. Again, it’s hard to hate this because it’s such fun pop, but some more substance would have been greatly appreciated.
