Detroit trio The Loveseats recorded this EP themselves, and it sounds like it — in the best way possible. For one, they sound like they're having way too much fun to get outside forces involved. But more than that, it sounds good — or, it sounds exactly as it should. Make no mistake: This is garage rock, or garage punk; the guitars are crunchy, the drums are of the falling-down-a-hill variety, and the vocals are ragged. Perfect.
Opener "Either Way" states that "My problem is that I don't have a problem," and that sets the overlying tone for the EP. (Must be nice.)
"Shadows" starts quiet, with loud hollered choruses and one abbreviated Jane's Addiction-style epic guitar solo. Third track "Clean" ("I'll be wearing my clean clothes tonight and you don't give a shit!") could benefit from a remix — the group-shout vocals are buried behind the throbbing rhythm track, and you wanna lean in to decipher the mumbles. But as the 5-minute sinister Mudhoney-esque growling guitar vamp builds to a delirious wailing death-squall, that becomes a small quibble.
"Taste" continues in the guitar-punk vein; again the vocals are tough to figure, but otherwise a great burst of brash rock 'n' roll.
So: jean-jacket tight arrangements, solid rolling bass and drums, killer guitar. Minor mixing problems on the vocals (perhaps there's one for our protagonist in "Either Way" to consider). Great rushing platter of trashed basement punk. You can go and download this EP for free on their Bandcamp, so by all means do. Then let's wait for the (hopefully forthcoming?) LP.
