The Everglow

Mae's pensive, pretty sounding, piano-steered opener, "We're So Far Away," is sure to make swooning emo chicks and fans of Ben Folds get all tingly, but it's a misleading way to christen The Everglow. Still disciples of roaring, commercial-sounding modern rock with an ambiguous message -- from Jimmy Eat World to Relient K to Copeland -- will be relieved that Dave Elkins and Co. are quick to turn it up a notch and bring out the anthems as expected. From the airwave-ready "Someone Else's Arms" to the buoyant "Suspension" and on to the infectiously poppy "Breakdown," Mae is hard to dismiss and even harder to dislike. In fact, music of this ilk rarely sounds better or can be more effectively visualized. Come to think of it, "This Is the Countdown" just may be the most rollicking, immediate, lovelorn pop song in recent memory. Despite its unusual albeit palatable start, The Everglow is a shining moment in modern rock. ~ John D. Luerssen