Mates of State

Mates of State

“Team Boo” (Polyvinyl) Mates of State are husband-and-wife combo Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel that play spunky childlike drum-and-keyboards pop with slight attention deficit disorder. Case in point: album opener “Ha Ha” is three minutes of rollercoaster loops and ups and downs with sharp tempo twists and turns. And the same goes for “Fluke”. Though their harmonies can be a bit grating at times, individually their vocals are often utterly charming, particularly Gardner’s. But what is most suprising, is the full sound they create with layers of various synths, carnival-like organs and piano. You’ll never miss the absent bass and guitars. www.polyvinyl.com Jeff Skruck