Their second self-produced CD-EP is a success. That it showcases exactly what this band are all about is inescapable, that it is produced and played superbly is a testament to the real progression and true potential that this band exhibits.
The CD opens with a scorching electric version of one of their best long-standing songs in "Slide On Down", starting ina rush of guitar riffs and rhythms as the group exhibit all the energy and power that their most recent live set featured, to great effect. The band sound tight and confident as they positively erupt into action ona track that is as addictive as it is anthemic, as classic as indie-rock anthem as they come, and the perfect oopeber to any EP or album, as Matthew Dempsey's burning electric guitar scythes through the rhythmic fire set up by cohorts Campbell McInally on bass and Nico Hadden on drums, the vocals a sort of nassally urgency, but at the same time with all the yearning qualities that the song demands, delivered with power and passion as the song simply glides through yuor head and stays there, but begs you to repeat play it, something you'll do without ever tiring of hearing it. A stuner of a track.
Something that can also be said about the Forceful urgency, passionate intensity and raging indie power of "December", a track that also bursts into life but this time spiralling even higher and faster, so that it mixes the anthemic qualities with a red hot diaplay of nuclear guitar density and solid, driving rhythms. Just fantastic.
"Odd Socks" is amazing - in several respects. First, it's a superbly written song. Secondly, it's played and sung to perefection as the rhythmic foundations veer from driving to bouncy but alway7s with the power button turned on, while the guitar work is a hail of riffs and sizzling electric leads, as the lead vocals and harmonies are positively exquisite. But - and this has never struck me until I heard this version - it sounds like The Law!! Now, I mean that in a good way - it's a song that has got all the hallmarks of greatness that the songs of The Law possess in terms of its lyrics and deceptively effortless construction, only in the hands of these guys, it becomes a sizzling slice of guitar-fuelled adrenaline.
"The Art Of Conversation Is Dead" is perhaps the nearest they get to that Oasis-esque moniker that they got tagged with in the early days, only here they turn a tinge of influence into a roaring slice of yearning ansgst with some wondrous chiming guitar leads below the impassioned lead vocal and impressively catchy hook, while th rhythm section tumbles and falls, driving it all straight ahead, and one absolute belter of a track.
The final track is "Beer In The Morning" ending the CD on an acoustic note, proof positive that they can really write a great song and deliver it to excellent degree, even in a stripped-down unplugged state, as echoes of The Law shine, unintentionally, down.
Only it isn't the last track as you get a "hidden" track in the form of a bonus acosutic version of "Slide On Down" which reveals what a great actual song the guys have written.
Overall, then, a massive step up from the first CD-EP and decidedly something that should bring the important CD labels sniffing around their back yard.