On their sophomore longplayer, Mae transmutes emo’s romantic and fatalistic impulses into..a concept album? Yeah, or they just happen to have had a bunch of songs that worked well in a cyclical fashion and had a visual artist whup up some illustrations appropriate for a quite mature children’s book. In actuality, The Everglow is a triumph of thematic and structural ambition wed to heart-on-sleeve pop-punk that doesn’t sacrifice memorable melodies for emotional acuity. If Mae’s for real about the album’s conceptual unity, my guess is that it’s about a guy experiencing a heartbreak or two and some drunkenness to medicate the hurt, with an abortion or unwed pregnancy somewhere between (am unsure as to which), coming to the realization that the Lord is the first, if not the only, One he needs. That summation, however, doesn’t do justice to the musical and lyrical riches within. Punky at its base (especially Dave Elkins’ vocals), TE’s lushness of production doesn’t signal sell-out but aesthetic evolution. What The Clash’s London Calling may be to rock’n’roll reconciling the personal and political, The Everglow could be to reconciling heavenly and earthly matrimonies. Mae have a ways to go in topping themselves now.
Ratings – Doug Van Pelt 3.5/5, Jamie Lee Rake 4.5/5
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis May 2005Reviewed by Justin CarrettaMae's The Everglow begins with a pleasant-sounding girl speaking over a musical bed of a repetitive piano melody, giving an instructional introduction on how to listen to the CD. She begins, "Hello, and welcome to The Everglow by Mae. You are now listening to the audio portion of the album. To complete your experience, please open the booklet that accompanies the compact disc. Good, you are now…The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Jonathan AvantsThe Everglow follows the journey of a scruffy emo-lad through a storybook world. Donning a pilot-hat and toting his travel briefcase, he traverses oceans by riding atop friendly whales, finds companionship while walking in a wide candlelit field, trudges through nightmarish forests full of sinking mud pits, and faces crossroads with faded street names in an effort to reach his destination -- The…Similar sounding releases
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