Customer Reviews

Singularity

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Before I go any further into this review, one thing needs to be made perfectly clear. This is not The Everglow. Interpret that as you will, but if you buy this CD expecting The Everglow Pt. 2, you will be disappointed.

That said, on to the review. With Singularity, Mae has clearly chosen to take a new tack into the realm of straight-up rock. This is apparent from the very start of the album.

The first track, Brink of Disaster, starts off with a rocking guitar intro accompanied by a rousing keyboard line which really adds a distinct Mae touch. The verses drop into a more reflective mood, then rise back up into a high-energy chorus. This is followed by a fantastic bridge which only adds to the excitement. The song ends with Dave Elkins, in his inimitable way, screaming "asleep at the wheel!"

Crazy 8s is the next track, a more melancholy, slow-paced song with a soaring chorus in which Elkins asks "can you stay with me tonight?"

The third track is Sometimes I Can't Make it Alone, the first single from the album. Here we see a grittier edge to Mae, as Elkins showcases just how versatile his voice is and the guitars relentlessly grind out a hard accompaniment. This song is a make-or-break effort on Mae's part. Fans of harder rock will definitely enjoy it, while those who fondly remember Mae's smoother, more "emo" days will wonder what happened to the band they know and love.

With Just Let Go, Mae slows it down a little with a lilting tune that you'll find easily gets stuck in your head.

The next two tracks, On Top and Waiting, are two of the more forgettable songs on the album. That said, they are still strong efforts, with Waiting showcasing an excellent keyboard line by (unfortunately) former member Rob Sweitzer.

Sic Semper Tyrannis is yet another harder effort by Mae as they test these new waters. The result couldn't be better. And once again, the song works up to a marvelous bridge which fits perfectly.

Release Me is another slow piece, this time with a sad feel to it. In the chorus, Elkins asks "could you be the one to release me?" and the tune flows beautifully.

Telescopes is similar to Sometimes I Can't Make it Alone, with a dissonant, repetitive chorus. Rock lovers will enjoy the effort, especially the wonderful guitar work as the chorus begins.

Rocket starts off feeling like another rocker, but slows down into a more reflective piece with a slower, more tuneful chorus than Telescopes and SICMIA.

The CD closes with Home and Reflections. Home is a spirited, lovely song, more reminiscent of Mae's previous albums. Reflection ends the album on a reflective note, as Elkins shows that he can still sing soulful songs.

All in all, Singularity is an adventurous step into new territory for Mae, and they pull it off pretty well. That said, one still hopes that in the future they will return to more of the smooth, soulful music that made Mae distinctly different.

In my view, the best album of 2005 is Mae's The Everglow, a brilliantly fresh concept album that still sweeps me away every time I listen to it. With its seamless storytelling, anthemic melodies and innovative soundscapes it's just in a class of its own. So there was probably no way that Mae's 3rd album Singularity was going to live up to my expectations for it. But still, it should have been better than it is. And that is, unfortunately, my one-line summary review of this album: it could have been so much more...

It sounds like they wanted to make a "safe" album filled with songs that are radio-friendly, songs that fans can jump to at concerts. I would describe it as uninspired with pockets of brilliance, like the sweeping Just Let Go, and the bridge of Release Me, which builds up to a soaring climax and then falls flat by just going back to the regular chorus.

Don't get me wrong -- this is still a really solid rock album and I have it on repeat on my iPod, it's just that I don't think the album does justice to the amazing talent these guys have. I don't know if they got lazy, or if maybe the studio made them go in a certain direction, or what the deal is, but the bottom line is that I didn't expect an album of easy listening sing-along songs. I expected an album that challenges me musically and philosophically, like The Everglow did.

Now, having said all that, I still recommend Singularity. As a rock album it is still way above average. But if you're looking for something different that'll keep you busy for years to come, get The Everglow instead...

Having fell in love with Mae the moment I heard This Time Is The Last Time, my expectations are for songs that really grab your attention. Destination:Beautiful, while flawed, contained amazing songs that all had a different catch to them. The biggest problem on that album was that the way that the other songs had to stand in the shadow of tracks like Sun, All Deliberate Speed and Embers. Still, the album is easy and fun to listen to and I've gotten any number of people hooked on that album.

Then came the Everglow. I had a much more difficult time getting into this album. The grooves just weren't there. Vocally, some songs were weak as they seemed to be forced to fit the concept of the album. I remained patient and eventually the album drew me in. The classic Mae touch to each song was on there . . . generally occurring in a bridge. These moments definitely showed that the band could pull out some tricks and create a great sonic attack that leaves you yearning for the moments to cover the entire album, rather then resting in each bridge. Still, it's better to have moments than nothing at all.

And now we have Singularity. And I can't be happier. There is definite growth on this album, if you can't tell simply by the up-front and in-your-face guitars on most of the albums tracks (SST, Rocket, Sometimes). This album sounds like Mae has finally written songs that kill when you see them live. Before, they seemed to come through better on a CD.

While I haven't had too much time to let the album to sink it, I have already found myself humming tunes and singing random lines. As the band have stated in interviews, they're an average rock band with a great keyboardist. I would have agreed with that . . . before this album. The rest of the band has come to rock. The keyboards don't add the same layering of sound as we're use to hearing (though it does pop up in that way in a few songs; see: Home), but instead the keys add melody, but in a much more driving way, I'm thinking, in order to keep up with the pace of the songs.

The songs on here definitely demand your attention, but a lot of times, I find that they fall short of capturing that "aha!" feeling from before. It's an interesting combination of a band growing and moving away from what I had thought made them great. The album is still good, don't get me wrong, but it does have its flaws. Every song has a bridge. Every song. The formula begins to wear after a few listens.

But if I drop my pretension and just listen to the album, I'm quite happy. This album rocks and is a much more cohesive album than Mae have put out before. All the elements have come together for the entire album, instead of for small moments in each song. In that way, Singularity is the perfect name for this album.

Recommended tracks: All. None are bad. You'll find something here . . . and it probably won't be what I like, or he likes, or she likes. That's what makes Mae, well, Mae.

Update: Honestly, it's been a while since I've listened to Mae, but I'm currently listening to The Everglow and it is definitely a step up from Singularity. Singularity was a refinement, but they cut out what made the band special. Singularity doesn't call out to me to listen anymore, it was a flash in the pan, but the Everglow is much deeper. Such a shame, one can only hope their next album has more depth.

Most people were blown away by The Everglow, which set the standard for anything else this band delivers from that point on. I'll admit, I didn't catch on to Singularity the way I did with Everglow, but I've now found that Singularity is the album I'm playing the most. For me it was one of those albums that isn't your favorite initially, but once you come back to it, you appreciate it for everything it's worth. I love Mae, and I now love this album.

Just a few years ago, right around the release of The Everglow (a hidden masterpiece), I thought I was really cool for liking a somewhat unknown band. My musical tastes were still developing, and had been since I was listening to Clarity by Jimmy Eat World in 2001. I'm still always looking for new good music, but I feel I've come up dry. Perhaps it's partially my fault, perhaps it's part of the direction that music is heading now in the latter part of this decade, however, I tend to get my new music from the repertoire of bands that I have built up over the past 10 years. The Everglow is one of my favorite albums. I love the way it progresses, the way it tells a story, the different types of songs it offers; it's really a gem of an album. I even just love the artwork and booklet with all of the lyrics. Enough on The Everglow...

The point is that MAE created such high expectations for me and many others that I think have done a nice job on this forum of reviews. Destination:Beautiful was very good, a great start. The Everglow is a step forward. Singularity, well, is a step backwards. The diversity of music on the album is bland. Yes, it has a pretty smashing opening track that gives the album potential. But most of the rest of the album, with the primary exception of Just Let Go, is MAE trying to extend their reach and define themselves as a rock band, rather than just, well, MAE. Again, I think most of the other reviewers on here have done a great job. If you are considering purchasing this album because you are already a MAE fan, then do so. It's not a bad album at all. It's a mediocre album that's relatively catch, put out by a great band. If you want to get into MAE, purchase The Everglow. If you want some new tunes by MAE, check Singularity out. I've grown complacent in terms of finding new music. I was hoping for better from MAE, but I still believe that their best music is yet to come.

mae's previous CD, "The Everglow" was one of those few albums I got into from the moment I put it in my player. It was and still is in my opinion one of the best musical productions to ever grace my ears.

And then comes "Singularity," the follow-up album riding on the bigger saddle of a major record company named Capitol. Upon first listening to Singularity I thought to myself, "What is this?" It didn't sound like Dave's vocals, the guitars were harder and the piano seemed all but gone. Did I skip mae and buy some other CD? No, it was the right one.

While not as epic as The Everglow, Singularity still manages to pump out some well-crafted songs that, while they don't all flow together as well as it seemed the last record did, still manage to impress. If you were looking for another concept album with vacuum packed airtight streamlined music, you found the wrong CD. However, if you're looking for a good cd from a great band, you may just want to buy this cd. Songs such as Crazy 8s, Just Let Go, Release Me, and Home make this worthy of a purchase, even if not every song on the CD is as good as the next as it was with The Everglow.

Bottom Line: If you're a fan of mae, the style of music they play, or just want to experience a mood you may have never felt before, pick up this CD and give it a listen. Chances are, you'll like it.

Most of the reviews written so far all compare this album to Mae's previous work, The Everglow. All of those reviewers are being incredibly cramped in their reviews! All they can think about is how good of a job Mae did on Everglow w/out opening their minds to this new album!

Singularity is such a solid album, I LOVE all of the songs from start to finish. The songs all have a distinct sound all their own, which is a Mae trademark. Mae has continued to be fantastically creative with their music, they are a standout to all the other alt. rock bands.

If you want to listen to something new, refreshing, creative, and furthermore all around GREAT buy this album. I will definitely continue to promote this band, and I know you WON'T be disappointed by them either!

I really don't like Singularity at all. Maybe "Just Let Go" and "Home" are good songs, but the rest... no, I'm sorry, they're just so.. different from the old Mae sound that I'm used to.
The lyrics are so bland, and they're moving toward a different side of the rock spectrum.
I used to listen to Mae because their songs made me happy or at peace, and now.. they just make me feel so conflicted on the inside. I don't know whether or not this was Mae's intention, but I don't like it. And I have a feeling that old Mae fans don't/won't like this album either.
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Now that I've listened to it for more than a month, I've been really liking this album. It's still not as good as their older albums, but... it's still great. As for rating, I'd change it to FOUR STARS.
Mae is still one of my favorite bands. I'm still highly anticipating their next album!

I love Mae. After I heard the Everglow, I bought it and listened to it on repeat, and immediately ordered Destination Beautiful. While it was easy to see that Mae had definitely improved their material with the Everglow from Destination, it is hard to see that progression.

What I want to stress is that this is a VERY GOOD album, solid, and would probably be my favorite-if it was any other band's. When it first came out, I admit, I was about to throw the CD down-this is not the Mae I love! I've given it a few months, and honestly, it's a good cd that fits along with most of the other cds I like. However, Mae was that artist that I could tell apart strictly from the beginning of the song, and the way it made me feel, whereas I couldn't possibly do that with this album.

I also agree with the other reviewer who said they needed "dance-able" songs for concerts. Recently, a friend of mine went to their concert (I couldn't go!) but they were openers and booed off the stage. Booed! So, that could definitely be part of why they want to make an album to play as a show.

I've been a mae listener since Destination: Beautiful and I still think their best CD is the Destination: B-sides, but I know I'm in the minority there. Everglow sounds a lot different than early mae, but its expected that a band mature and gain some depth. Everglow is philosophically stimulating and musically a very well put together album. The concept and storyline seem very original and it made the album something of a masterpiece for them.

Listening to Everglow and then popping in this album, you won't really recognize mae. There isn't that kind of melancholy vein running through their music anymore, which is either a good or bad thing depending on your preferences. The point is, though, that it's not the same sound. At all.

In my personal opinion, Everglow did something revolutionary within the genre. It had a concept, a storyline, and it made you think. It was a big album for them, and it put them in a position to get a lot more listeners. Singularity, to me, seems like the increased exposure is taking its toll and sapping them of the sound that made me like them in the beginning. There are already plenty of straightforward rock albums in the mainstream that are better than Singularity. What made mae have a place in my car's CD player was the fact that they didn't sound like every other band on the radio.

That said, Singularity is good. It's not great by any means, but its good. Dave's voice sounds great as usual and their keyboard is pretty awesome. I might be in the minority here, but I kind of miss the driving, persistent note of dissatisfaction and yearning that went through Destination and Everglow. Maybe now mae has found whatever they've been yearning for, and maybe I just need to accept that.