Who'd have thought the Eugene, Oregon would offer the world the first legit Sunset Strip band since the strip's late eighties sleaze rock heyday? Not I, but it's true. While I'm sure these guys would probably like it better if I compared them to seventies Aerosmith or Rolling Stones, the truth of the matter is, if you were a fan of early Guns N' Roses, Faster Pussycat, Hanoi Rocks, and early Motley Crue then you'll love these down and dirty rockers!
The Two EPs is freshly released and is obviously intended to build anticipation for the band's forthcoming album of new material, So Many Musicians To Kill (due out this summer). This album kicks off with some pretty down and dirty rock and roll in the form of "Anthem" and "Funny Little Feeling." These two songs are easily the strongest on the album (the old "put your best foot forward" in action?) as they have really memorable guitar riffs and by 15 seconds into the songs you want to sing along. I take that back, you HAVE to sing along. From there The Two EPs goes quickly and steadily down hill, recovering only for a brief moment with the song "Three ********." Most of the songs are fine, it's not like they are weak or poorly produced, they are just easily forgettable. For example "Habits I Have" and "Lay Down & Die" are the kind of songs that if you heard them on the radio you wouldn't change the station but if you heard them on that same station everyday for a month, you would probably change your radio allegiance.
Overall this is probably not going to become anyone's new favorite record but there are three or four songs that make you take a second listen...and then a third...and then a fourth...and so on. This is a band that can rock and I suspect that their upcoming summer album will be well worth the wait if songs like "Anthem" and "Three ********" are setting the stage for it.
2.5/4
