I’ve been giving this disc a load of spins since I received it, and have been honestly taken aback with how refreshing and pure a sound MAE has to offer. Although the similarities to JIMMY EAT WORD, around their “Clarity” era are more than obvious, MAE have a gorgeous understanding of fluid songwriting that curls up against the leg of the listener and coos gently into the darkness of the night. “Destination: Beautiful” moves forward for a solid 50 minutes, pulsating poignantly with a mixture of light electronic beats, sometimes quiet, sometimes roaring guitars, and a vocalist whose commands of words are mesmerizing. This is simply a release that declares, “we’ve got the pop melodies on hand with plenty to spare, so come on in and enjoy a round a two.” It’s hard to mentally imagine music that’s totally devoid of pretensions, but MAE come close to dropping probably the most open and skillfully played pop disc I’ve ever heard. Pick this up and bask in the radiance.

Tooth and Nail

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