Raised from the ashes of Ursa Minor by that group'sSteven R. Smith, Mirza drew positive notices for their last record,1999's "Iron Compass Flux," but eventually called it quits. Ba Da Bing!brought this collection of their hard-to-find 12" EP release onAutopia, as well as unreleased tracks, in 2001, and it's an amazingglimpse of their early work as well as some of their best music ever.All the unreleased tracks are captured on 4-track cassette save the EPrecorded on 8-track, so all of these tracks are very gritty-sounding.And the music is purely punishing. And yet strangely delicate. Nicelyplaced horns and odd sounds bring out a variety seldom heard on otherreleases, and despite the lo fi recording the music never sounds blandor cacaphonous. Instead, it's some of the most melodic and structuredmusic Mirza ever did. As always, the playful bass makes for a greatanchor as the wild and destructive guitars play above it, and the drumsurge and drive the music faster and harder. At just over 64 minutes,"Last Clouds" is a spectacular posthumous nod to an underappreciatedand dynamic band.
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