I really like Mae. Their last album, ‘Destination Beautiful’, is a really inspiring record that I can sit and listen to all day long. It actually took quite some time to grow on me – at first I thought it was a little too sappy – but on repeated listens it was just impossible not to fall for its charms. It was also a record which won them a legion of new fans, so much so that Tooth and Nail has decided to keep the punters happy by releasing a collection of odds and sods that while tide them over until the next full-length. On the face of it, 10 songs – two of which appear twice – is hardly value for money. That is, however, until you press the ‘play’ button on your CD player.
‘Destination: B-Sides’ is a real joy. Mixing new demos with live versions and re-mixes, it shows that Mae can mix the poppy undertones of their last record with a more electronic feel. Infact, you can listen to this album on repeat for several hours and just get lost in it. I know because I have. It’s a record you can switch on and relax to – from the swirling samples of ‘This Time Is The Last Time (wave mix)’ to the live take on ‘Sun’, this album mixes up strands of pop with an electronic feel that brings a different dimension to the band. Of course they do their normal thing well too, with a demo of ‘Suspension’ and a cracking version of ‘Tisbury Lane’ showing they can do the melodic thing too.
Mae have a really bright future ahead of them. While this record is extremely good, it probably isn’t worth £10 or £11, so in that sense is not value for money. Having said that, the quality of the tracks on offer is extremely high, so if you loved the first record then you’ll definitely need to add this one to your collection. I can only see Mae becoming bigger and bigger and on the basis of this album, those bigger things will surely follow.
www.whatismae.com
Tooth and Nail
Paul