Mates of States
Mountaintops - BARSUK
FILTER Grade: 79%

It’s been nearly three years since we’ve had new, original music from Mates of State—not counting last year’s covers album—and Mountaintops suggests that after a decade and a half, the Mates keep getting better with age. The husband-wife duo’s indie-pop sound hasn’t changed that drastically over the years, but somehow it manages to keep fresh with each album release. Mountaintops is the band’s seventh and, like most of the Mates’ albums, is a collection of keyboard-explosive dance tunes and slower, toned-down ballads. This one, however, seems even louder at times (“Maracas,” “Total Serendipity”) than previous releases, and Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner’s vocals and harmonies remain as beautiful and polished as ever before. Even the duo’s ooohs and aaahs seem to sound better this time around. For Mates of State fans, it’s another top-quality release in an ever-growing discography. For everyone else...you may proceed onwards.