Capitol

Always super-poppy and catchy, Norfolk, Va.-based band Mae has released its third full-length album, "Singularity," easily its most polished to date.

The sheen, mostly due to producer Howard Benson (Relient K, My Chemical Romance) comes at a price, however, but that likely won't be a dearth of record sales.

"Singularity" sounds great sonically. The drums don't have an ounce of dirt in the hits, the amps never distort too much. Synthesizers cut through driving guitar-rock songs and impossibly smooth vocal deliveries by front man Dave Elkins, especially on the track "Sic Semper Tyrannis."

Songs like "Release Me" and "Just Let Go" are safe and benign to a fault. You have to wonder if there really are dudes in rock bands out there who genuinely think of these sugary, harmless, melodic songs on their own, or if they actually are suggested to them by magical happy forest creatures in a dream.

It's only a matter of time (if it hasn't happened yet) before these songs are beamed via satellite to every Hollister Co. or Gap in the country. 

"”Joe Wertz