Open up your hearts

Recommended if you like: Dismemberment Plan, Belle ‘amp; Sebastian

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‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ If… Recommended if you like: Dismemberment Plan, Belle ‘amp; Sebastian

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‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ If you forced Death Cab for Cutie and Mates of State to join forces to create a super-group, the result would be a smorgasbord of drippy guitars, quirky organ lines, whiny chanting and stretched-thin romantic metaphors about clothing. It might sound something like The Anniversary, and it definitely wouldn’t sound very good.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Still, both bands posses a certain charm, which lies in their respective abilities to evade the tags given to their contemporaries, and to team whatever cornball vibes they undoubtedly emit with a complete confidence.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The members of Death Cab for Cutie have become masters of this art, spinning elaborately guitared and sickeningly catchy melodies under the confident lyrics of front man Ben Gibbard.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ OnTransatlanticism, an album filled with brooding indie-pop sing-a-longs, the band dabbles in texture more than ever before, sprinkling in the nylon-string guitar and the glitchy snares for good measure, and creates a sound that’s decidedly careful and flawlessly produced.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Though Gibbard gives us an earful about not having a New Year’s resolution, finding pictures of his ex in the glove compartment and failing to think of ‘something charming to say,’ the music never ceases to draw us away from his half-baked emotional dissatisfaction.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Whereas Gibbard and company suck the musical marrow out of being single, Mates of State revel in their marital status, banging on their instruments exuberantly like newlyweds whose only wedding presents were a drum set and a keyboard.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ In between cuddling for photo shoots, the PDA-happy Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel churn out delightfully urgent pop songs littered with high-pitched vocal harmonies and slapstick drums. It’s clear that, at the very least, Mates of State are capable of having way more fun than most married couples, and they manage to do so without making us puke from the constant afterglow.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Team Boo, the band’s latest release, serves up more of Gardner and Hammel’s distinctive sound. On the opening track, ‘Ha Ha,’ the music stops to bring forward the harmonized convictions of the band, who sing, ‘This is the blood that we’re made of,’ only to give way to spastic, dancy organ twirls and jumpy drums.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Shrugging off comparisons to Quasi and the White Stripes hasn’t been hard for Mates of State, as the lack of divorce-laden content speaks for itself, as does the distinctiveness of their sound.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ With Translatlanticism and Team Boo, we see two ambitious bands with big hearts, unafraid to spill them onto their recordings. Even if the subject matter gets predictable, we’re always left tapping our feet when the songs fade.

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Death Cab for Cutie and Mates of State will play at Club Laga tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12-$14. For more information, call (412) 682-2050.