Mae - Destination: B-Sides

It seems odd that a band with a catalog consisting of only one full-length would release a collection of B-sides. It could be a way to cheat the sophomore slump, or maybe they’re just way into full disclosure. Either way, I’ll admit that listening to an assortment of B-sides and rarities (if you can already call them that) is a poor way to be introduced to a band. But they say you can learn a lot about a person by going through their garbage, so lets see if we can’t learn a thing or two about Mae by going through theirs. Destination: B-Sides is a batch of remixes, alternate-takes, live cuts and unreleased originals drawn out of the band’s (deep breath) three-year existence. Everything sprouts from Mae’s foundation of earnest indie-pop, leaning toward the more temperate side of the genre. Acoustic reworks “Sun” and “Giving It Away” (both originating from 2003’s Destination: Beautiful) and most of the new tracks center around somber piano melodies, of which the new track,“Awakening”, stands out per its shrewd use of slow dynamics. As for the live tracks, the instrumental “Futuro” is a bit of a departure due to its progressive, spacey feel, and to that point it might be the best track on the disc. The others, “Sun” and “This Time is the Last Time,” suffer from live recordings that could be considered too clean. Little “live” energy (and absolutely no crowd noise) make it through to the end product, which comes off sounding flat. These could easily pose as studio demos. It’s hard to get too down on the band considering that these are all B-sides. The fact is that unless you’re already a big Mae fan, you’ll probably find little on Destination: B-Sides that will move you. If you are, this one’s for you. Otherwise I can’t recommend this. Go for one of their full-on studio efforts instead, then maybe you’ll want to come back for it. [www.whoismae.com]