Album Review: The Maple State – The Things I Heard At The Party

Manchester, UK’s The Maple State are set to release their long-awaited new album, The Things I Heard At The Party, on the 23^rd March 2018 via Far Out Records, an album that will represent their first new material in almost a decade. Since their dissolution in 2008 the members of The Maple State scattered to winds with each member following their own path, but they always remained in contact and the seed of the return of The Maple State was sown in 2015 when new song ideas were introduced and these have germinated to become the band’s new full length, The Things I Heard At The Party. 

The frantic strumming that kicks off the album’s title track you get the sense that this is a album that carries an irresistible indie bounce, shades of the melodies of the Stone Roses and XTC from the indie scene sit alongside melodic elements from the likes of The Byrds and from the sixties, both of which are accompanied by the poppier elements of the emo scene, these influences all bleed together to create what must be recognised as an album that resembles a melting pot of the melodic side of the indie and alternative scenes.

When you’re a Mancunian writing for a Canadian website and you encounter a band from your home town called The Maple State you get a certain sense of synchronicity, The Things I Heard At The Party is an album that if you didn’t know better would make you think The Maple State have been frozen in time as this is a throwback to the indie scene of the past, and if you have a lingering love for the indie scene of your youth then The Maple State will be a welcome flashback.

The album will be available on a limited run of vinyl and via all good digital retailers, and is now available to pre-order here