It's hard to get by with a name that makes you roll your eyes like that. And I'm sure that anyone would hate me to start a review of their album like that, but I felt the need to address it. But don't let the name fool you, for within these lo-fi, guitar-driven tracks lie bright melodies, thought-provoking, interesting lyrics, and tasteful song structure. Earlier this year, this Indiana-based musician released an EP entitled 'Tweaker in the Park' (the names only get better), which had one of my favorite tracks of the year called 'The Town Crazies', and I somehow managed to skip over reviewing it. That track had more or less what's given here, except on this EP, I feel like i'm missing that catchy electronic beat that that track has. Also, I feel like he's being a bit lazier with the lyrics here. But nevertheless, that tracks are still catchy as hell, and each have their own feel to them. The title track is clearly the leading tune here, with its upbeat melody and not-so-upbeat lyrics. The next track, Digression, is more of a progressive track that pulls you in with its repeating melody and drums that roll along smoothly with the guitar strums. This is definitely my favorite of the three. The last one, Missed It, sets a slightly darker tone at the beginning with the singer's voice inflection that's very reminiscent of Doug Martsch in the earlier days of Built to Spill. Luckily, the dark tone is quickly lifted by a vocal harmony, and the humble guitar solo towards the end.
What this EP is missing is just that extra kick, perhaps in the form of an electronic beat, or maybe even a brass section, I don't know. That seems a bit silly, but hey. Anyway, you can download the EP for free on his bandcamp page, and I suggest you do. I can't wait to see what this guy has in store in the future.
-Julian
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