make no mistake about it, my fantasy is to marry a girl i make perfect harmony with. then we’ll go on tour. i’ll play the drums and she’ll play whatever. we don’t even have to sell any records. as long as we could still eat and get to the next show, my life would be nearly complete. except that whole need to save the world thing. but after we were too old to sing anymore, i could take care of those needs.

i’ve been listening to the new Mates of State record since barsuk sent it to me for completing my national board application process (and for sending them $12). their real present was to send Mates of State here to play a free in-store just for me (and a hundred or so other people). i’ve never seen them live. actually, before i bought “Re-Arrange Us,” i’ve never listened to any of their records except “Our Constant Concern” (which i constantly listened to for quite a while), either.

i’m pretty sure people thought i was weird as i sang all the lyrics to the new songs straight into the Flight of the Conchords cd on the listening rack in front of me. but the thing about Mates of State is that you just can’t care about things like that. you can’t worry about how you need to put a coat of paint on the basement. you can’t worry about the 30% of your kids failing your classes. you can’t care when your rib will heal. you can’t care about anything other than perfect harmony and smiling. nothing else matters at that point. it’s like some visit with a spiritual happiness guru. Mates of State say to you “this is how things are supposed to be. no, you might not be like this, but you can share with us for a little while. and maybe someday, this could be you.”

and the greatest thing is that it’s so believable. if i wasn’t $400 in the hole for the month, i might have looked for the other Mates of State records i don’t have yet. because they got kids to feed. and a message to spread. one that i wholeheartedly support in every way.

“everything is going to get lighter, even if it doesn’t get better.”

chant it a couple times. then send these folks their kids’ dinner money.