Artist Info:Mae’s Discography Album length: 10 tracks Street Date: November 16, 2004
It’s hard not to like Mae, or at least appreciate them. Their 2003 debut
Destination: Beautiful was one of the more artful releases of the year. Their unique
blend of pop/rock and emo influences gave them a faithful following. And now, the anticipation
mounts for the late March 2005 release of their sophomore effort.
Until then, they offer us somewhat of a "Project: 1.5" in the form of Destination:
B-Sides. Featuring 3 unreleased tracks, 2 remixes, 3 live recordings, and 2 acoustic sessions,
Destination: B-Sides is a varied disc that should appeal to most every fan of Mae.
"This Time Is the Last Time (Wave Remix)" gets the project going. And though my personal
opinion happens to be to leave well enough alone, this track, as well as "Goodbye, Goodnight
(S.M. remix)," are both well done and hold their own.
Up next is "Suspension," the first of three new tracks. It could have easily fit on
Destination: Beautiful, unlike the other two newcomers, "Tisbury Lane," and "Awakening,"
both of which are a tad too mellow to have belonged. All three are worthy efforts, with
"Awakening" probably being the standout. It begins slowly and eventually builds to the musically
brilliant climax. And in an odd twist, "Awakening" is the most spiritually driven, while
"Suspension" discusses earthly relationships, and "Tisbury Lane" is caught somewhere in the middle.
All three live tracks are played back-to-back-to-back, though it does not seem to be the
same performance. In fact, it doesn’t seem to be any kind of performance. There is no sight of an
audience to be heard. Even the infamous "echo" common when listening to live releases is somewhat
different. It’s as though the band played in an empty room. Still, the live cuts are great.
"Futuro" is a music-only track that gets better with every listen. The live version of "Sun"
begins with a lovely, extended piano intro. And, though it does not necessarily stand out,
"This Is the Last Time" is beautiful as well.
Acoustic versions of "Sun" and "Giving it Away" add even more to like about
Destination: B-Sides. The obvious question, though, is… why a b-sides CD directly
following a debut? It seems to make more sense to do this kind of project long into a band’s
career. But this is what Mae has chosen to do and they deserve much credit for doing as much as
possible with the material they have to offer. Destination: B-Sides should keep Mae
fans occupied until Everglow releases March 29th.
- Review date: 02/08/05, written by Josh Taylor
Artist Info: 
