Harmonic Mates of State innovate with sugary pop
Successful bands are all about chemistry. Mates of State’s Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel get along so well they decided to marry, and if their albums are any indication this couple is getting along very well.
Both from Lawrence, Kansas (and you thought the Midwest wasn’t good for anything…), Gardner and Hammel formed Mates of State in 1997, and their debut, “My Solo Project,” followed in 1999. Gifted with ears for pop, the duo’s trademarks are minimalist but catchy arrangements and off-the-wall harmonies.
Soon after the release of their first album, Mates of State relocated to San Francisco, signed to Polyvinyl records, and married in 2001. On their next two releases, “Our Constant Concern” and “Team Boo” they maintained and even improved their giddy pop sound, expanding their experiments with tempo changes and harmony.
Underneath their sugarcoated appeal, Mates of State are a fairly experimental group. Their songs are traditional only in the sense that they are music and words. Past that, they sound akin to either sonic collages or a severe case of ADD’s attempt at songwriting. It can be a little difficult at first, but their strong pop influence tethers the sound to likeable structures and bob-your-head melodies. And while this sound has some imitators – the Fiery Furnaces come to mind – nobody has done a better job of it than the Mates of State.
This music is fun because it’s good, and good because it’s fun. I don’t know their political platforms or their proposed solutions to world hunger, but I know that they’re having a good time playing music and that I have a good time listening to it. And sometimes, that’s all you need.
Zach Pendleton is a music critic for the Utah Statesman. Comments can be sent to him at
zpendleton@cc.usu.edu.