Mates Of State -

Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel, the San-Francisco based duo behind Mates of State, rely on nothing more than a synthesizer and some drums to conjure their perversely melodic song cycles. Gardner makes up for the lack of low end with an adept use of her keyboard bas pedals while Hammel's crashly-bashly cymbal wash fills the remaining space. Significantly the pair's greatest asset is their voices, which harmonize, overlap and react against each other like participants in a courtship dance.