Abe Vigoda

Wasting no time following up last summer's effervescent Skeleton full-length, Chino, CA's Abe Vigoda have come storming back with an EP of all-new material that shows they've already begun expanding their sound. Lightening up on the frenetic tropical spike that made their debut such a thrill, the four-piece have taken a darker path that's immediately felt in Michael Vidal's drop from hurried yelp to brooding mumble. The band concentrate more on building a wall of melancholic sound than immediate punk-ish hooks. "Endless Sleeper" is a perfect example of this expansion, using feedback screeches to support their aching vocals, while "Wild Heart" combines their playful picking with a fuzzy drone that washes out the great dynamics that motivated Skeleton. Abe Vigoda haven't completely abandoned the delirious nature that earned them the tag of "tropical punks" - "Don't Lie," "House" and "The Reaper" all put their brisk chemistry back to work. However, nothing quite delivers on the promise of their LP. Since this is but an EP, I'd hesitate to assume this is a definitive statement by any means.