Grand

Even though Grand is a bit toned down from Matt and Kim's first albums, it maintains the spunk, high energy and carefree attitude that caught people's attention in the first place.

Grand might inspire head-bobbing and smiles, but it'll rarely make a jaw drop.

While there’s no game changer like 'Yea Yeah' here, many of the tracks show increasingly complex arrangements and stronger lyrical content that should be a positive contribution to their already notable live performances. [Winter 2009]

Grand runs into something of an identity crisis in its third act, as it moves through these phases a bit too quickly and gets left sitting and twirling in a way. Fortunately, most of its flubs (only a precious few) do not stand out.

Grand isn't as majestic as its name suggests, with only a handful of songs moving past the anxious minimalism that permeated the last album. For returning fans, though, Grand provides a familiar brand of punk music for happy people, for lovebirds, for those who wish Mates of State had more swagger and less glockenspiel.