Grand

Rate It! Avg: 4.0 (316 ratings)
Grand album cover
Album Information
  • Artist: Matt & Kim (See All Albums by Matt & Kim)
  • Date Released: Jan 20, 2009

  • Genre: Alternative/Punk, Style: Alternative, Indie Rock, Commercial Alternative, Rock

  • Label: Fader Label

Total Tracks: 11   Total Length: 29:15

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Fun, catchy pop

ChronoSquall14

The percussion is great and the melodies are crystal-clear. Got this from Amazon as it was a Mates of State-related recommendation. Download the album and get ready to dance. Just a lot of exuberant, fun pop. If you're on the fence, "Daylight" and "Lessons Learned" are stand-out tracks. Even the toddler can't get enough of this energetic duo.

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poppy guilty pleasure

studio158

this whole album just begs to be played on loop - all summer that was the case - in the daylight everywhere is home!

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They Say All Music Guide

“I’m feeling restless; don’t slow down!” advises Matt Johnson during Grand, the hyperkinetic follow-up to Matt & Kim’s equally hyperkinetic debut. Grand makes good use of that advice, sandwiching 11 songs into a half-hour blast of snare hits and bouncing, buzzing synthesizer riffs. Johnson handles the bulk of the vocals, singing every song in a nasal, nerd-chic tenor while overdubbing his own harmonies. Yet it’s the chemistry between Johnson and his partner, drummer Kim Schifino, that helps fuel the band’s energy, even if Schifino’s presence is somewhat muted by the album’s beefed-up production (which polishes her wild percussion into tight, precise beats — not a poor decision, necessarily, but hardly representative of her live performances). Building off the template established by the band’s first album, Grand aims for the middle point between sugared melody and punked-out swagger, making room for stomp-clap percussion, dancefloor electronics, and jingle-worthy songwriting along the way. Grand isn’t quite as majestic as its name suggests, with only a handful of songs moving past the anxious minimalism that permeated the last album. For returning fans, though, it provides a familiar brand of punk music for happy people, for lovebirds, for those who wish Mates of State had more swagger and less glockenspiel. – Andrew Leahey

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