Mountaintops is the seventh album by American indie pop band Mates of State. It was released through Barsuk on September 13, 2011.[1] The song "Palomino" was featured in a 15-second Ice Breakers commercial where a man and a woman share a cab in a rainy night.
| Mountaintops | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 13, 2011 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Indie pop | |||
| Length | 37:23 | |||
| Label | Barsuk | |||
| Producer | Mates of State | |||
| Mates of State chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 74/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The A.V. Club | B+[3] |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Consequence of Sound | C+[5] |
| Paste | 8.1/10[6] |
| Pitchfork | 7.1/10[7] |
| PopMatters | 5/10[8] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[9] |
| Spin |   [10] |
| Sputnikmusic | 3.0/5.0[11] |
Mountaintops received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 74, based on 18 reviews.[2]
Robert Christgau gave it an A− and wrote that "the wholeness of the music leaves us feeling they're more than OK."[9] Spin gave the album a 7/10, writing, "Mountaintops has plenty of upbeat romps, but the most compelling moments are the epic, minor-key laments 'At Least I Have You' and 'Unless I'm Led,' which argue that even the truest of loves can still feel lonely and miserable."[10]
Paste placed Mountaintops at number 49 on their "Top 50 Albums of 2011" list. The magazine's writer Carey Hodges said: "On Mountaintops, the band's seventh full-length, the pair delivers more of their polished pop while tastefully showcasing a handful of warped turns that partner lush synths with minor-key experiments."[12]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Mates of State
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Palomino" | 4:54 |
| 2. | "Maracas" | 3:22 |
| 3. | "Sway" | 3:34 |
| 4. | "Unless I'm Led" | 5:21 |
| 5. | "Total Serendipity" | 3:40 |
| 6. | "Basement Money" | 3:32 |
| 7. | "At Least I Have You" | 3:34 |
| 8. | "Desire" | 2:47 |
| 9. | "Change" | 2:38 |
| 10. | "Mistakes" | 4:01 |
Personnel
editCredits adapted from the album's liner notes.[13]
Mates of State
- Jason Hammel
- Kori Gardner
Additional musicians
- John Panos – horns (5, 8, 10)
- Kenji Shinagawa – guitars (5, 7, 8)
- Ryan Breen – guitar (1)
Technical
- Chris Coady – mixing (Soundtracks)
- Steve Fallone – mastering (Sterling Sound)
Imagery
- Jeremy Paul Beasley – artwork, packaging
References
edit- ^ Coplan, Chris (June 9, 2011). "Mates of State announce new album, Mountaintops". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ a b "Mountaintops by Mates of State". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ^ Phipps, Keith (September 13, 2011). "Mates Of State: Mountaintops". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on April 1, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Sendra, Tim. "Mountaintops - Mates of State". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Kivel, Adam (September 22, 2011). "Album Review: Mates of State - Mountaintops". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Hodges, Carey (September 14, 2011). "Mates of State: Mountaintops". Paste. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Zoladz, Lindsay (September 12, 2011). "Mates of State: Mountaintops". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
- ^ Fairall, Jer (September 22, 2011). "Mates of State: Mountaintops". PopMatters. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "CG: mates of state". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ a b Tedder, Michael (September 13, 2011). "Mates of State, 'Mountaintops' (Barsuk)". Spin. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Klap, Rudy (September 8, 2011). "Mates of State - Mountaintops (album review)". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on April 1, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Jackson, Josh (November 29, 2011). "The 50 Best Albums of 2011". Paste. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ Mountaintops (liner notes). Mates of State. Barsuk. 2011. BARK 119.
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