Mates of State

Husband-and-wife team Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner seemingly make gorgeous indie pop songs as easily and casually as the rest of us shower in the morning. Much has changed since their duo Mates of State's 2006 debut on Barsuk, Bring It Back; they have moved to New York and had...

By Ben Westhoff

June 26, 2008

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Husband-and-wife team Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner seemingly make gorgeous indie pop songs as easily and casually as the rest of us shower in the morning. Much has changed since their duo Mates of State's 2006 debut on Barsuk, Bring It Back; they have moved to New York and had another daughter, for starters. But Re-Arrange Us continues their incredible run of insatiably catchy cuts, led by "Get Better," "Help Help," and the title track, which speaks to the difficulties of marriage and pregnancy. For the most part, they brush aside the (occasionally grating) experimental flourishes that informed some of their earlier work. Instead, the duo focuses squarely on doing what it does best: setting often-devastating lyrics to electric organ- and drum-based tunes. The result? Mates of State's best album yet.

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