The new Mates of State album, Re-Arrange Us, is indistinguishable from most

The new Mates of State album, Re-Arrange Us, is indistinguishable from most every other Mates of State album. I could comment on various tracks, but if you’ve heard previous Mates of State albums, then you’ve heard tracks that sound a lot like these tracks: simple keyboard accompaniment and lots of dreamy guy-girl two-part harmony. Here’s the thing: Nobody sounds like Mates of State except for Mates of State. Hence, there’s no real need for them to evolve. And fuck, I don’t want them to: Getting one of their discs in the mail is like Christmas in July. Re-Arrange Us is a gorgeous, economical listen. If it doesn’t depart from what’s gotten the Mates thus far, all the better. Prog-rock ain’t for everyone.