The 'Lab are back and boy do they love The Beatles (well, they'rereally ripping off George Harrison's "When We Was Fab" from the 1980s,which is much lower on the cool-meter). Actually, it's rather nice thatthey're song-based again as opposed to the overtly wanky qualities oftheir last few releases. The faux-country acoustic guitar noodling andpedal-steel solos kill all enjoyment of this song started in the firstminute. Track two, "Long Life Love" might as well be a stoned outversion of the first track: it's slower and almost twice as long andmelodically and structurally begins almost identically. There is aprettiness factor but it's not enough to make it a good song, plus Pramdo it ten times better these days. The third track, "Canned Candies"sounds like a nod to an unreleased Mamas and Papas Christmas outtakecombined with chiming vibes, flute and la-las from 'Dots and Loops'while the last track picks up the energy but doesn't provide anythingcatchy to leave me with. Sadly I feel the group's seriously gotthemselves in a rut, using the same producers for the umpteenth time ina row, coupled with the strong feeling they have inhaled so much potthey can't write a good song any more. On the other hand, I might be abit too critical on an EP of songs which didn't make it to the album.(Or perhaps too grouchy about spending $10 on four crappy songs.) Therewas a time and place where I thought this band could do no wrong: aminimal amount of instruments wasn't a hinderance to their abilities tomake something magical and catchy. Their current sound may have a lotof shiny ornaments, but at the roots are rather empty songs. The bandhas become what they were seemingly anti in their beginning days:they've traded in low-fi for high fidelity low-distortion recordings.They once were trying to say they weren't 'adult oriented' or 'M.O.R.'but they're now primed for elevators in shopping malls. I haven't heardhorns like this since Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now". This EP is outnow through Duophonic in the UK and preceeds the full-lengther due nextmonth. Start twirling your finger.
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