AMG Review of (E)vening

Tim DiGravina
All Music Guide

The final compilation of Mae's monthly singles, (E)vening collects five uplifting rock ballads and four pensive piano recitals. Opener "A Quiet (E)vening" and the three-part "Seasons" are little more than spare instrumental piano mood-setters. In other words, the release should be seen as an EP and not be mistaken for nine full-fledged songs. The piano instrumentals offer little to get excited about. They're par for the course for what one would hear at any local piano recital. The remaining songs are among Mae's finest and full of their usual hopeful, yearning earnestness and bright melodies. Given the emotional tone, the relationship-heavy subject matter, and the emphasis on piano, fans of bands like Keane and Snow Patrol might find a lot to like. And it's fair to say that post-rock acts such as Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky are an influence on the dynamics. Just as Dave Elkins sings about people coming together as a beacon for the lonely on "Bloom," when Mae are firing on all cylinders, their music is the sort of beacon that fuels young romance and hopefulness in times of angst.