SLOW RIOT FOR NEW ZERO KANADA E.P.

Recorded in between F#A# and Lift Yer Skinny Fists like Antennas to Heaven...(LYSFLATH), this half-hour EP sounds just like one might expect it to sound, given those two albums. Here we have two extended pieces that start very quiet with beautiful guitar melodies and violin harmonies that build slowly to a climax and back, overlaid with street noises, and broken into multiple sections that maintain listener interest. There is a street poet that must have been recorded in Rhode Island that features both here and on LYSFLATH, to generally good effect. The first track "Moya" is the standout, and has featured for years as part of their live set (must be named after Mike Moya, one of the composers). But the second track, often shortened to BBF, is also excellent, and very close in quality to Moya. More refined and efficient than F#A#, Slow Riot is an obvious must-have for any GYBE fan. It is similar in style, although not perhaps quite as musical, as their masterpiece (LYSFLATH). I give this album 8.5 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which translates to 4 PA stars.