Mates Of State

Crushes (The Covers Mixtape)

After 2008's fantastic Re-Arrange Us, the adorable husband-and-wife duo Mates Of State return with an album of covers. Crushes (The Covers Mixtape) reworks 10 of the pair's favorite tunes, and sees Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel expanding their usually minimal organ-and-drums instrumentation to match the originals. However, these aren't by-the-numbers covers–the signature Mates Of State harmonies (and their quirkiness) ooze into each one. They manage to do the songs justice, while still maintaining their own individuality. Gardner and Hammel tackle Girls' “Laura,” giving the song an emotional face-lift, but not to an overbearing extent. Their take on Fleetwood Mac's “Second Hand News” is rather straightforward, but it works well because Hammel and Gardner's vocals are sort of the indie equivalent of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks anyway. Daniel Johnston's “True Love Will Find You In The End” gets the synth treatment, turning the song into a sugary pop gem. There's also takes on tunes by Nick Cave (“Love Letter”), Tom Waits (“Long Way Home”) and a surprisingly good stab at a Mars Volta song (“Son Et Lumiere”). Crushes is a fun listen that will leave you excited for Mates' next outing

Self Released www.matesofstate.com

True Love Will Find You In The End