Loser Anthems

I cannot stop listening to this EP.  As of now I’m already on my fourth listen today, at it’s only noon.

At the risk of sounding like a complete fanboy, it’s a beautifully written EP.  Granted, it’s more or less a collection of b-sides from the recording of MGB’s 1999 album Beautiful Midnight and some recordings done over one night in early 2001, but there’s a cohesion to it that is generally sorely lacking in most b-side/rarity collections (look at Nirvana’s 1992 compilation Incesticide if you want proof).  Speaking in overused metaphors, all of the songs are generally cut from the same cloth.

One of the remarkable things about this EP is how it can swing from being incredibly serious and emotionally wrenching (such as the closing track “The Fine Art Of Falling Apart”) to incredibly witty (such as opener “Flashdance II” and the hilarious rant that makes up “Intermezzo: M. Good vs. M. Trolley”) in the 25 minute running time and still remain a cohesive experience.  I’m drawing a blank on the number of bands that can cover that kind of emotional range in such a short period of time and not have the end result turn out completely stilted, which I think is a testament to how great both the band and Matthew Good as a songwriter are.

Simply put, this EP more or less sums up how I’ve felt for the better part of this year.

[EDIT: I originally had a download link to this EP up, but it's since expired and has been removed.]

~ by Shawn on February 14, 2007.