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The duo... have actually improved, and the album sports stronger songs, a fuller sound, more emotional weight, and an exuberant soul that spills out of the speakers like milk and cake at a kid's birthday party.
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The fattened sound, however, doesn't mean an altered band, just a better one.
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UncutBeneath the cheery chug and carnival-like fizz beats a sombre heart. [Oct 2006, p.117]
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New Musical Express (NME)It's irresistible. [16 Sep 2006, p.36]
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Under The RadarMates Of State have always been poppy, catchy, and filled with love and joy, but here it all sounds greater, more heartfelt, and ambitious. [#13, p.87]
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The songs skirt the edge of cute, but Gardner and Hammel's forthrightness and skillful arrangement keep them from becoming too sugary.
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Spin[They] spruce up their cutesy indie pop with grander melodies, gigglier choruses, and a wider variety of sounds. [Apr 2006, p.91]
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Entertainment WeeklyThey... make imaginative use of their spartan keyboards/drums/vocals lineup. [31 Mar 2006, p.64]
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Alternative PressMaturity beat[s] out playfulness. [May 2006, p.162]
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FilterCompared to the relative intensity of its opening numbers, precious few other moments on BIB escape the intertia of your average campfire bray-along, which is too bad since the sexy new studio sheen validates the Mates' many virtues. [#19, p.90]
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Rather than the simple three-part-appeal that marked earlier albums (vocals, drums, and keys), the production here makes them sound like they are fronting a bona fide rock and roll band. This is a bad thing: this new complexity undermines their giddy, naïve appeal, and it drowns the vocals.
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While the band is always fun and catchy, it can be a bit much after a while.
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UrbA simple pop prettiness mated with all lovie dovie. [Apr 2006, p.97]
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This is rousing pop distilled down to its molecular structure, executed with confidence.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 10 out of 11
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Mixed: 1 out of 11
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Negative: 0 out of 11
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JoelOct 26, 2006
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SamK!May 12, 2006love it. Ive allways loved them. I get a little annoyed with "Like you Crazy" but, man. haha such a good album!
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AaronQApr 28, 2006