Review Summary: Debut EP from Manchester based Indie Pop act, Unadventurous but lots of fun and a great release.
The Maple State began life as a run of the mill pop punk act, however as time went on and after many line up changes the band decided a change was in order and thus we have “At Least until We’ve Settled In.” Musically it’s a simple affair, mixing the emotional rock of Jimmy Eat World and The Get-Up Kids with the pop of the new Head Automatica record. The guitarist opts for a lightly distorted sound for most of the album making it reminiscent of Nightmare of You, while there is a very strong keyboard presence which really carries the band. The guitars are the back drop for the keyboard and vocals which provide the most endearing quality of this album; although at eight tracks a case could be made that it is more an EP. Vocalist and Lyricist Christian Counsell writes excellently for the genre, again a parallel to Nightmare of You but with hopefully more meaning to his words. I guess as with so many lyricists Morrissey has to be the biggest influence.
Opener “You Cant Put Two Hotels on Mayfair” tells of how the band quit their jobs to concentrate on the band full time and featured on a recent Drive Thru Records compilation. For a song with quite downbeat lyrics the music is fast, catchy and a great song to dance too. The Maple State might not be reinventing the wheel but they make great fun music and for a fan of pop punk it won’t leave you disappointed. Listen out for the Keyboard riff that opens the chorus, strikingly similar to the riff in “Party Hard” by Andrew WK. Next track The City Is under Martial Law…’ picks up the pace further and is possibly the best song here. You will struggle to find more a better sing-a-long this side of Blink 182. The real selling point is that despite the genre being notorious for its formulaic bands, the Maple State do not really make repetitive songs, each track is well crafted and unique whilst added to the overall sound of the EP. “The Fall of Shi Gau Rui” is less pop and more rock by the band standards, it contains a blistering chorus and at shows is always a fan favorite. The only down point for me is “Hazards of Russian Convoys.” It sounds like a poorly executed Weezer song from the Pinkerton days, but sadly Christian doesn’t quite have the genius of Rivers and it just doesn’t really work. I guess it’s the closest the band come to a slow song or a ballad and it feels very out of place.
This is a great debut release, it might be raw in places and their newer songs are somewhat stronger but that doesn’t mean this isn’t one of the most fun albums in my collection. For fans of Motion City Soundtrack, Hellogoodbye and anyone who wants some indie pop to have a good time to. The band is making a name for themselves in the UK, having toured with Say Anything and Motion City, check them out now.
