DELUSIONS of ADEQUACY (online)
The concept of an EP has some inherent ups and downs. On the upside, things are usually a little shorter than a full-length, making for a more efficient listen. Also, as a general rule, EPs don't contain a whole lot of 'filler' material, either, as the whole point of an EP seems to be to make a strong musical statement without dragging on time-wise. On the downside, however, an EP just isn't enough material to really grasp the full breadth of a really diverse band's range of sounds. Then again, there are times when the material on an EP is so balls-out directly to the point that it leaves a listener clawing, scratching and begging for more - and a good example of that is Her Flyaway Manner's A Rotation of Thoughts and Themes EP.
This Nebraskan three-piece has 'filled out' its sound a bit since its self-titled debut, as the songs here are a little more on the 'active' side than the band's previous material. Her Flyaway Manner's sound and songwriting skills lean towards the Third Harmonic Distortion/ Lungfish edge of the spectrum, with thick, intense grooves and songs full of pace changes and math-ish tendencies. If there's any problem at all with A Rotation of Thoughts and Themes, it's that this disc doesn't get amazingly good until after about the fifth or sixth listen. The band's sound itself is the hook for the first few listens, though the true 'melodies' to this record don't expose themselves until repeated listens take place.

Still, one way or the other, the material here is quality. The opening lyrics to the title track of the disc kick things off with the declaration of "Repetition gets in the way," so the band proceeds to change up the rhythm and pacing of the song three times within the first 45 seconds. Nice. The bass is deep, the drums straight-up pound, and the guitars are dirty, all of which are necessary evils to properly back up Brandon's intensely shouted-then-spoken vocals. "These Nights" kicks off with buzzsaw guitars and more pounding drumming, sounding like Fugazi on a really pissed off night. The lyrics reflect a slow build of internal questioning ("These nights we've spent looking at the stars / How will we reach these stars when we can't even reach our shoes? / It might take a lifetime") before the song kicks into 20 seconds of a completely brutal rhythm track to close things out.

"Sterling" is a bit more restrained than the previous two tracks, building slowly on a military cadence of a drumbeat and a more conditionally 'emo' guitar line (rather than the dirty, crunching chords of the opening numbers). The intensity is still there, though, and when Brandon laments, "I guess I just came to say I can't find the kiss of indigo," the guitars finally wail out like grubby sirens on a quiet city night. At this point, all hell breaks loose - the vocals go from contained to screamed, the drums just fire off all over the place, and the guitars thrash about a la Bob Mould.

"A Description" sticks more along the lines of the controlled intensity of the previous track, though the vocals push the line of screaming much quicker. The bass here is downright funky, and the guitar break about a minute into the song is just a flat-out powerful groove. The strength of Her Flyaway Manner's rhythm section is best showcased here, with powerful drumming and bass work that really strengthens the already nasty guitars.

The EP closes out with the five-and-a-half minute dirge of madness that is "To the Last 23," the slowest number on the disc that utilizes a much more controlled build-up and release method than the rest of the disc. The guitars do get another chance to ring loudly and proudly again, and the pounding rhythm section more than ably backs it up, again indirectly adding strength to the 'way-past-the-breaking-point' intensity level that the vocals hit. This time, though, it doesn't seem quite so out-of-control, as the slow burn leading to that moment keeps the mix from seeming over-the-top. Still, by the end of the track, Brandon's wailing that, "I'd like to meet the man with the hammer / With everything so black and cold / Your submarine is full of water" is downright creepy, and in retrospect, it really pushes the intensity of the slow burn of the track earlier.

Of course, being only a five-song, 17-minute release, it's rather easy to listen to A Rotation of Thoughts and Themes repeatedly, which helps to really drive home how incredibly intricate Her Flyaway Manner's songs really are (thanks, in part, to their simplicity, a musical dichotomy that still remains unexplained to this day). This does lead to the downside of the release, though - it's only a five-song, 17-minute release. Still, as far as EPs go, though, this stuff is terrifying in its intensity.
I cannot possibly say enough good things about the music contained here, but the following words to instantly come to mind: Intense, Nasty, Groovy, Thick, Dirty, Intense, Intense, Intense, and Intense. I think that about covers it. If you like your music thick and dirty with some intense vocals and groove-oriented, nasty hidden melodies, A Rotation of Thoughts and Themes is a must have - Recommended and then some. Man, I'm such a fanboy for this stuff. - Gary  
 

LOST AT SEA (online)
Guitar!  It's still way out in the front, and it's still nasty.  Everything about this record screams of nasty, sloppy, full-bore nose-bleed.  It's awesome.

Brendan McGinn's vocals echo those of Danny Pound's work in Vitreous Humor to a tee, especially in the third track, "Sterling".  There is a bit of Alec Mackaye's swagger from the Warmer's eponymous Dischord re-lease as well, and the music all smacks of the glorious Boys Life sound electrified on their eponymous first album.  There is a sloppy fierceness about this album that really can't be denied, especially considering that there really isn't anything sloppy under the surface.  The moves are cold, calculated, and precisely mapped.  The rhythm section is so rock solid that it's almost intimidating to listen to, and for the life of me I can't figure out why there is no information anywhere in the album or the press materials as to the identities of the two strapping lads.  I suppose it's entirely possible that they be nothing more than androids, because they certainly play with the unwavering ferocity of pro-grammed pummeling and picking machines.  The guitar is mean, nasty, and way out in the front, but McGinn would be reduced to a swerving maniac without the brutal low end filling in.

I think if you crossed the Midwest's glory year bands like Boys Life and Christie Front Drive with the smarts of Gang of Four, this EP is what you'd come up with. It's a solid and impressive sound, and this is a solid and impressive collection of tracks.  The din builds repeatedly and buckles accordingly, collapsing under the weighty din of the trio's toil. Poignant pauses are followed by waves of impenetrable noise, the midrange squall riding atop the meaty undercurrent laid down by the faceless low end.  All in all, pretty outstanding.
(Reviewed by Eric J Herboth)