Manchester natives The Maple State are reuniting after a 17-year-long hiatus. The band has returned with their new album, Don’t take forever, released November 7.
The album’s ten tracks are a short yet definite statement that the band is both embracing their past and rewriting their future.
“Winner Part II,” the album’s opening track, starts with a slow piano tune, leading listeners into the band’s previously signature high-energy, drum-forward beat. The opening verse is defined by the line “I wanna be like them / maybe they wanna be like us,” paying tribute to previous years of the band’s career, with all of their high and low points.
The track that follows, “Zero days since last incident,” is the band’s leading single off the album, defining the sound that comes with this new era.
Lines like “I’m steady, I’m alright” and the song’s opening line, “I feel fine,” emphasize the feelings of rebirth that continue throughout the album. The track also contains the record’s first instrumental break, ensuring that the band’s previous sound is still present, but now with an air of growth.
“Settle down,” true to its name, takes on a much slower and calmer melody compared to the album’s previous tracks. With the song’s chorus, “Maybe you can be my reason / to settle down / and stick around,” this track is the band’s tribute to friendship and the people who are important to them, all of whom act as anchors through previous years of their lives. This is another one of the band’s ongoing themes, with every song leading back to this feeling of lifelong friendship, love, and care for those who support them.
Track four, “Better than before,” is a look forward, ensuring that some of the band’s career high points are yet to come.
The line “I know if I’m not careful / I’ll be here forevermore” is one of the most emotionally hard-hitting of the album. The track describes finding a way out of feelings of being stuck and toward something new.
“Better than before” is the record’s standout track, its chorus “You know I got this dream / it’s not yet dead” serving as the thesis of an album that looks backward and forward in equal parts.
“No time to waste” is the album’s midpoint and acts as an anthem for not wasting life.
Lines like “Don’t stay just ’cuz you’re fearful” and “Try to ignore the words of all of those who have given up hope” encourage listeners to spend their lives doing the things they love rather than wasting time on things they don’t.
The track is followed by “Dead beneath the stars,” which switches the sound established so far on the album into a bagpipe- and drum-driven track full of energy. In addition to the new instruments, the track contains background shouting vocals and a beat that calls for dancing. For the band’s future live performances, this is definitely one to watch for.
The next track, “Willow,” returns to a pensive acoustic sound, using the line “I knew I was never gonna see her again” to remember a time spent dwelling fully in emotion. The song is its own type of highlight on the album, setting itself apart entirely from the other tunes and establishing a new and equally enjoyable sound from the band.
“There’s always money in the banana stand” follows and creates a different pace both sonically and thematically. The track uses the common line “What would Jesus do?” along with its title as a call to action to be kind to those around you. The band encourages us to use what we have to help others. They also use a fade-out here to employ the album’s most experimental grouping of sounds, with synths and Christian Counsell’s electric guitar.
The tracks slow one final time for the album’s second-to-last song, “Winner part II reprise,” a short piano-only palate cleanser before the band’s final sign-off.
The album’s last track, “Vacancy,” begs “Don’t go without me again” and contemplates “I think what would’ve been” as a final message of reflecting on the past and pledging to continue on with a new path in the future. This final track expresses all of the band’s gratitude for their longtime fans, their friendship with each other, and their memories of their career thus far.
This album encapsulates an over 20-year-long career in a mixture of old and new sounds and uplifting and reminiscent themes.
The band is also set to announce an upcoming tour to coincide with the album in the coming weeks, but for now, stream Don’t take forever via the link below.
