Mae, "Singularity"

Emo rockers challenge convention but come up short

By Kirk Miller, Metromix

August 14, 2007

Critic's Rating:
2

Mae, "Singularity"
Singularity
Release date:
August 14, 2007
Artist/Band name:
Mae
Record label:
Capitol Records
Official Web Site:
http://www.whatismae.com/
Overall User Rating:
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Backstory: At first, it would appear that this Virginia Beach five-piece possess a familiar story. After signing with Christian punk label Tooth & Nail in 2003 and slogging through a Warped Tour or two, the group inevitably ended up on a major label (Capitol) working with an A-level rock producer (Howard Benson, best known for his help with My Chemical Romance). The difference here? Mae is anything but punk rock.

Why you should care: Forget the band’s background: there’s not a lot of Hot Topic-approved anger or easy hooks on “Singularity.” It’s a musically complex album, alternating between dreamy indie-pop and a lost '90s grunge record (especially on “Telescopes”). Add in a fair amount of piano, and singer Dave Elkin’s precise, unwavering vocal style, and you’re left with a sound far removed from today’s mainstream three-chord crowd.

Verdict: Elkins’s calm, straight-forward manner and the band’s mix of jangly and jarring suggests the group worship at the prog-emo altar of Jimmy Eat World. Sadly, that band has two things Mae lacks: breath-taking choruses and emotional complexity.

X-Factor: You never, ever need to hear the band cover Nine Inch Nails’ “March of the Pigs,” which they did on the recent compilation “Punk Goes '90s.” Trust us.