Mae - "Rocket" (2007)

Mae is a band I first discovered after seeing an ad for their debut Destination: Beautiful in Alternative Press Magazine. I listened to “Summertime” and “Embers and Envelopes” several times online and I eventually purchased the album. It was kind of the soundtrack to my summer in 2003 and I loved every track on that record. I was eagerly anticipating their follow up The Everglow and when it finally arrived in the spring of 2005, I was not disappointed. The Everglow was a bit of concept record and had a sort of storybook feel throughout, right down to the album art. The Everglow definitely rocked harder than D:B, which I think represented more of what Mae sounds like in a live setting. I have had the pleasure of seeing Mae live about five times and they are impressive. I think everyone has a band that they knew about before any of their friends did and they always take pride in introducing people to that band’s music. For me that band is Mae. I’ve always kind of felt like they were my band. That sounds kind of stupid now that I write it down, but I’ve enjoyed them since the beginning and I guess I just feel a personal connection to the music. Being that I like this band so much, I was a little worried when I read that they had signed to Capitol Records. Signing to a major label is not always a bad thing (Death Cab for Cutie’s Plans), but sometimes the transition is not so great (The Juliana Theory’s Love.) So I was a bit skeptical, but this is still Mae we’re talking about. They’re not going to release a mediocre record are they? Well now that I hold Singularity in my hands, I can say that the answer is no, with a little bit of yes. Make no mistake, this is still better that 95% of the rock albums that have been released in 2007. There just aren’t any songs here that reach out and grab me the way “Painless” from The Everglow did. Mae definitely upped the rock quotient on Singularity with more distorted guitars than ever before. The opener “Brink of Disaster” starts the album off great with a catchy synth line that leads to a chorus where you really get to hear singer Dave Elkins’ vocals soar. The first single “Sometimes I Can’t Make It Alone” is not something long time fans probably saw coming. It’s a great song, but definitely geared toward radio. Perhaps this is because Capitol had Mae go back into the studio to record a few more songs because they “didn’t hear a single.” That is what frustrates me about major labels: they only look at music in terms of how well it can sell and if they can push it to radio and MTV. “Sometimes” is a song that would not exist had Mae not been on Capitol and that vexes me just a little. You can hear more about this from the band by watching the webisodes they posted leading up to the release date. Enough ranting, there are several more great things that can be said about Singularity. For instance “Just Let Go” an excellent semi-ballad that sort of reaches back to “The Ocean” from The Everglow. It has great piano, great lyrics and a melody that stays in your head. I don’t want to ramble too much so I will now tell you about today’s song. “Rocket” is one of the heaviest rockers on Singularity but is probably the most outstanding track. What struck me the most the first time I heard it was how much it sounded like Failure, the excellent 90s rock band fronted by Everglow producer Ken Andrews. I thought it was interesting that even though he didn’t produce this album, his influence seemed to seep in anyway. Keep in mind that I’ve only listened to Singularity about three times thus far and I ‘m sure it will grow on me. It’s definitely a record you should own and if I have made you second guess, that was not my intention. Just listen to this.

Mae - "Rocket"