Misleading band names, eh. They’re fun, at the very least. This band (a duo, from Detroit of all places) sound absolutely nothing like they might be expected to with a name like that. They only named themselves after a fucking NASCAR driver! They seem to be getting mileage (oops, that wasn’t intentional, honest!) out of it too, as this EP’s title shows.
The record’s artwork would probably be a better indicator of what they (Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott) sound like. These four songs are every bit as colourful as the mind-boggling sleeve would suggest.
They’re not going to be able to escape even slight comparisons to the Beach Boys, because it’s not even enough that “Vocal Chords” opens with a harmonised vocal line that is a very obvious tip of the hat: they actually cover them.
Yes indeed. The closing track is their take on “God Only Knows,” and they pull it off rather well. It’s their own material that raises eyebrows, however. Flaming Lips-esque in their penchant for breezy melodies and uplifting hooks like the ones that drive “Nothing But Our Love.”
The one drawback is that the EP can often sound a little too sugary for its own good. It’s not really that big of a deal, however, because now we’re settling into winter it’s quite an effective deterrent of the blues. This is quite a good start. Two things remain to be seen: how long they can keep up this consistency… and if they persist with the car puns.
