Mae

(M)orning EP

[2.5/5]

Mae have never lacked ambition: 2005’s Ken Andrews-produced The Everglow had a companion illustrated book, while 2007’s Singularity featured stacked layers of lush harmonies and guitars. (M)orning aims just as high; the first in a series of three EPs the trio plan to release this year, it clocks in at nearly 40 minutes. Despite complex arrangements and dynamic production, Mae’s aspirations don’t always match their execution. Except for the ’90s-power-pop “Boomerang,” the EP’s songs lack memorable hooks or structure; the piano-and-flute hippie-twirl instrumental “Two Birds” is pleasant but inconsequential. Better are the nine-minute fable “The Fisherman Song (We All Need Love)”–which begins as a quiet acoustic number and ends in a Hum-esque scream-fest–and the electronic-glazed, gnarled-rock drone “The House That Fire Built.” With their unexpected turns and seamless genre-stitching, this pair of songs saves (M)orning–and shows that Mae are best when letting their imagination run wild. (CELL) Annie Zaleski


GO DOWNLOAD:“The House That Fire Built”