Rapid Fire Reviews: The EP Train Has No Breaks

I like to think of me trying to keep up with all the EPs that come out in any given year like a terminal Sisyphean game of whack-a-mole. The moment I think I'm free of the medium suddenly more projects appear in bulk. Side projects, new artists, bonus track they come in many forms. But week after week I take aim to strike down the massive list of EPs so that come years end I can say that I have accurately assessed the field to make a best of the year list. Each of these three EPs for one reason or another may come off as slightly challenging, at least to your average listener. That's about as close to a theme as I'm able to deliver right now . Enjoy <3

comfort noise EP - umru

If you know your hyperpop and have a general awareness of underground music then you're certainly aware of umru. You're probably also aware of the impressive roster of features he pulled for this EP including Hannah Diamond, Fraxiom, Rebecca Black, Cecile Believe, Tommy Cash, 645AR and the list goes on. You also might have heard some of these songs before given that 4 out of 7 were released as singles meaning some of them have been floating around for a while though. None of this is a guarantee for any success nor is it a barrier to be put up against the project. I like most of the tracks here quite a bit and even though it isn't anything groundbreaking for the genre I think that can be partially explained by the projects blending of styles depending on the guests for each track. Even though there is a bombastic and glitchy aesthetic over everything the way these songs shift between pop, electronica and hip hop tropes often has a lot to do with the artists featured on the song, or maybe the artists featured on the song have a lot to do with its genre aesthetics. Regardless of the chicken or the egg most of the guests here are set up to succeed but it was Tommy and Cecile in particular early on the EP that really stole the show. While not every moment is as exciting as it could be I was surprised by how much I remembered each time I came back to revisit the project. Any hyperpop fans that may have missed this should do themselves a favor and give it a shot. 7/10

Oblivion! EP - Sundara Karma

If you've been around long enough to remember my last Sundara Karma review you may be surprised to see me covering the band again. After a decent debut album that got my attention the bands sophomore project really didn't do much for me and I didn't talk about their EP last year at all. But there were a few reasons why this one had me more curious. The group worked with Clarence Clarity last year but this time around he is the sole producer credited for every song on this EP and given how much I've enjoyed Clarence's music that was enough to reel me in. The other element that really sold me came once I started listening to the singles and seeing the promotional material, all of which reminded me of The Drums' album Brutalism. I really enjoyed Brutalism a few years ago and I wondered if Sundara Karma could be tapping into some of the sun-kissed ironic detachment. At the very least this EP delivers an intensity that was missing on the bands last album, occasionally sounding like bombastic pop punkers and other times feeling like much more digitized insanity. Unfortunately the project does sometimes slip into being purely annoying with no hint of irony or even intent really, Everytime being the worst example of this. Finny enough it's the other deep cut on the EP that most lived up to my expectations. Desire is a bright and shrill pop rock anthem that I find utterly infectious in all the same ways some of my favorite Brutalism songs are. This project isn't great but it is a big improvement for the group and if you have a really high tolerance for melodrama and thin vocals, plus an appreciation for pop music and structure you might really like it. I came away more mixed on the project but I could see a potential future where I end up paying attention to a third Sundara Karma album. 5/10

Room At The Top - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Alec Ounsworth's Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is one of the biggest indie bands of the 2000's indie folk blog era and I've always been a big fan. I was surprised just how much I enjoyed his newest album last year which featured a raw aesthetic matched by a stream of extremely catchy songwriting. That's why I was so excited to get into this EP, anticipating that it could be more of exactly what I loved so much last year. Turns out this EP is by no means more of the same and it smacks you right across the face with that fact from the opening moments which feature ripping electric guitar that was nowhere to be found on the last album. The project is pretty short just three tracks and under 10 minutes so it really needs to nail every aspect, and unfortunately the first track is a huge whiff. While I don't have a whole ton of direct complaints about the instrumental or songwriting it just feels like this isn't meant to be a Clap Your Hands Say Yeah song. Everything sounds so awkward with the distant strained vocals and rustic instrumentation clashing with the electric guitar work. Thankfully it gets better from there and the middle track In The Water manages to be a much more impressive and seamless blending of styles. All in all this is inconsistent but self-contained. While some of the experiments venture into compelling new places, it's clearer to me now than ever before that Alec has been leaning into his strengths on the best CYHSY material, which isn't exactly this. 5.5/10