THE ROAD LEADS WHERE IT'S LED

The Secret Machines, the drum/guitar/piano trio out of Dallas, Texas, is back with their third release. Their second EP, after their debut EP "September 000" and their debut album "Now Here Is Nowhere" is a very awkward release for me. Don't get me wrong, nothing about the music is awkward, it is just that the ideas presented on this EP don't seem like they should be released after a big-hit studio piece. This EP would have probably been better off pre-dating "Now Here Is Nowhere" and maybe even "September 000".

Now, with that all being said, I can explain the reason behind that. Only 2 of the 6 songs on this EP were actually written by the Secret Machines, and those are the heavy- hitting "The Road Leads Where It's Led" and "Better Bring Your Friends". In my opinion, these are the two best songs off of this release. The album mellows out a little more for the band's cover of Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks" and then comes almost to a grinding halt for their long and drawn-out cover of the mo-town classic, "Money (That's What I Want)". A song that was originally recorded in 2:30 being strung out to over 7 minutes using the same exact choruses can get a bit tiring, especially if some of the space is just random noise. The Bob Dylan penned track, "Girl From The North Country", is an excellent ballad which actually holds the listener's attention for the whole of the 9 minute duration. The closer, "(De Luxe) Immer Wieder", is more of a drum and bass chant than an actual song, but the keys come in at around 3:30 making this quite an enjoyable listen.

In plain honesty, this EP does get a little boring and stretchy at times, and I feel that the cover songs are not a good way to present yourself as an evolving band, especially on your third release. I would give this release 4 stars, but I have to knock one off for lack of originality.

3 stars, but I would still make an effort to hunt this down if you are a fan of the band.