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Sep 14, 2011If they keep making records as good as Mountaintops, they will have totally earned their gold watch and pension when they call it a day.
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Alternative PressSep 13, 2011Mountaintops is still well-crafted (if overwrought), but lacks the punch that'll make you sit up and take notice. [Oct 2011, p.109]
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Nov 3, 2011Singing sometimes borders on yelling, but the promised heights reach their summit.
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Sep 14, 2011By itself, Mountaintops is a big, dry album that doesn't move you anywhere.
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Sep 21, 2011After 14 years they show no signs of slowing down and you know what you don't want them too because they haven't even come close to sucking. It's a win win for all of us.
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Sep 23, 2011Take that undeniably delightful charm, add their increasingly laudable songwriting, and pepper in some wise instrumentation choices, and this makes for a strong album, one that bodes well for more in the future.
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Sep 28, 2011Mountaintops certainly isn't radically different from Mates of States' other albums, but when the band has this kind of rapport, there's no need to deviate.
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Sep 13, 2011Their seventh album opens with a simulated big-pop anthem and maintains that size and momentum without compromising their ability to play the new songs live.
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Sep 14, 2011On Mountaintops, the band flaunts the dynamics of their past recordings while sneaking in layers of growth.
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Sep 11, 2011Mountaintops is the first of their records to grapple with the everyday tribulations and banality of spending your entire adult life in a band-- with your Mate, nonetheless.
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Sep 23, 2011It only leaves one hungry for a real Mates of State record.
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Sep 13, 2011Mountaintops is a decent pop record, and will surely add a few fan favorites to the live set, but for a duo that did so much with just two instruments, they too often do less with more here.
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Sep 12, 2011Mountaintops has plenty of upbeat romps, but the most compelling moments are the epic, minor-key laments.
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Sep 9, 2011These moments of stepping outside of the indie pop comfort zone are what give Mountaintops a bit of zest, but it's also what makes the album less than a stellar affair.
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Sep 13, 2011It's seldom less than catchy, and often moving as well.
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Sep 13, 2011This album is infectious.
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UncutSep 14, 2011The duo delivers all the exuberance of the Ting Tings, channeling the joys of domesticity, parenthood and conjugal intimacy with an infectious giddiness. [Oct 2011, p.93]
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Under The RadarNov 3, 2011The quieter moments on Mountaintops work best....Because this is primarily a direct, uncompromising collection, the weak songs stick out like sore thumbs. [Oct 2011, p.105]