In the 12 months since their last release, Rough Master, the members of Mauno
have found that there’s a thin line in love between joy and anxiety. From opener
“Or Just”, a track “about being in a loving relationship but being unable to lose
the feeling that it’s somehow unrequited,” to Niemi’s slinking “Other Bad” and its
meditations on falling in and out love, Tuning treads that line like a tightrope.
“Anything Anymore,” written by guitarist Scott Boudreau, encapsulates this
dichotomy through the balancing of light and heavy — pairing the mundane with
the weight of waiting for love.
This alchemy of crisp Faraquet-ish guitars, tumbling vocal melodies, and intense
lyrical intimacy will come as no surprise to those who’ve followed the band this
far.
Tuning is a different beast. “It’s a lot more pop-oriented and concise,” says
Everett. “Much more carefully crafted and a lot more cohesive. It’s more mature,
I think – but I’ve listened to it about ten thousand fucking times so I don’t know
anything about it anymore,” he laughs.
“Still the noise in the mind, that is the first task.” A smart, calming dose of indie
existentialism, Tuning may help still the noise in yours.

[Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.]