The Maine

Imaginary Numbers EP

Surprise! Arizona quintet the Maine have released a five-song acoustic EP of new material, recorded in secret, just in time for the holidays. Completely self-produced, Imaginary Numbers is as bare as the Maine have ever been. On “Raining In Paris,” John O’Callaghan spins a wistful yarn with fragile vocals over a delicate guitar-and-organ arrangement. “Room With No Windows” could easily be adapted to a full-band rocker, as it’s got sass (dig those backing vocals from former Lydia vocalist Maria Sais De Sicilia!), a healthy bit of swagger (dig that twangy guitar solo!), as well as a little humor (dig that whistling outro!). “Perfectly Out Of Key” serves as the EP’s centerpiece, and rightfully so: It’s a moving piano ballad that finds O’Callaghan lamenting in a broken falsetto, “I’m just a bad haircut/Some fashion from last week/No one really knows me at all.” It’s a gorgeous song on its own merits, but when taken in the context of the Maine’s ever-maturing catalog, it’s an extremely high point. Keep up the good work, guys. We’ll keep listening.

Eighty One Twenty Three http://www.81twentythree.com

“Perfectly Out Of Key”