MAE is a band that has been around for a while and I see the name floating around every now and then, but have yet to really give a good listen to them. So when I was asked to share my thoughts on their self-titled album, Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience, I was excited to finally really get a good listen of this band. 

During my listen through I found that this album, released in 2018, is their first full-length album in over a decade! Between 2007's Singularity and the present, they've gone through some turbulent times actually; shortly after Singularity's release on Capitol Records the band parted ways with a couple members and then left their label the next year after only one album release. 

After parting with Capitol Records, MAE began experimenting by releasing a new song each month of the year and then compiling them into 3 different EPs titled (M)orning, (A)fternoon, and (E)vening. Then in 2009, they established their own label called Cell Records to release those EPs with distribution help from their original record label Tooth and Nail Records. The band members that parted in 2007 came back in 2010 for a fall tour and ultimately ended up officially announcing that they had rejoined the band. The excitement of the reunion was short-lived though as MAE announced that they would be taking an indefinite hiatus after their planned "Goodbye, Goodnight Tour". While they had announced a hiatus, the band never actually went anywhere for very long. They finished the final tour and recorded a farewell show, but then they continued to add additional shows every few months until the final shows of the "Goodbye, Goodnight Tour" were played in January 2012. They went quiet until 2013 when they played a couple 10-year anniversary shows for their first full length and then went quiet again until 2014 when they played an online show and announced that they would be reuniting for another 10-year anniversary tour, this time for their 2nd full-length album. 

Another stretch of time passed again until the band announced that they were writing a new album in 2017, which ultimately ended up being Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience released through Tooth and Nail Records.

The album definitely lives up to its name and from the first track you truly see why they are a multi-sensory aesthetic experience. The lead track “Kaleidoscope” starts with electronic arrangements and piano, which are joined by brass horns and then everything drops off leaving only orchestral strings before vocals kick in. This alone left me kind of just jaw-dropped with how this was done so flawlessly, making it all fit into the same song like they were always meant to be that way. And this track is a tone setter for the rest of the album, however the rest of the songs are much more set with whether they're electro-pop, orchestral, or rock focused. 

At the middle of the album, three back to back six minute songs are probably the strongest songs on the album. "You Fall When You Hesitate", "Our Love Is A Painted Picture", and "A Race For Our Autonomy" each have the elements of indie rock songs but one features electronic elements, one heavily features orchestral strings, and the last is very much a straight forward indie rock song. 

I really feel that every song on this album could stand on its own without having to rely on other songs of the album to find it as a great and catchy track. If this album is any indication of what MAE has for the future, I really hope that they continue to produce music and do not fall on hard times like they have already in their career. I will definitely be diving into the discography of MAE to hear more of what made this band so successful in that past. 

Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience can be purchased and listened to by clicking HERE.

For more information and updates about MAE, follow their Facebook and visit www.whatismae.com