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Minotaur

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These leftovers from the sessions that produced 2009's Bonfires on the Heath include several memorable mélanges. The title track brings to mind the baroque sounds of the Left Banke, the paisley patterns of the Rain Parade and the sunshine pop of Curt Boettecher. The second track, "Jerry" is even more beguiling, feinting towards progrock with its opening, but quickly giving way to vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Robbs and Three O'Clock, with drifiting piano and a melodic bass displaced by Television-like staccato guitar and an escalating rhythm whose tension is again broken by vocal pop. The EP's lone cover, "As the World Rises and Falls" is an obscure album track from the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band's third release. The hypnotic production and crawling psychedelia are perfect complements to Alasdair MacLean's hushed vocal - particularly his drawn-out reading of "rises" as "rye-zizzzz." The tone turns jauntier for "Paul Verlaine," bouncing along like a Paul Weller reverie, and the folk-rock "Strange Town" suggests Cat Stevens and Donovan (albeit with someone tuning a vintage oscillator for a mid-song solo). There's a moody piano solo and a lengthy spoken word piece before the EP closes on a lovely pop-soul note. All in all, a brief bite, but a tasty one. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]