Burning Love

Burning Love are one of those acts that are greater than the sum of their parts. At first glance, they appear to be a relatively new hardcore punk band with a cassette-only demo and one full-length, 2010's critically acclaimed Songs for Burning Lovers. But the have a greater history: vocalist Chris Colohan was a member of genre-defining group Cursed, and other members have their own history in Our Father. Their past, and the aesthetic they bring to the table from these previous ventures, lends Burning Love maturity and depth, which makes this EP a bit surprising in its impertinent rawness. The listener gets the sense that this was a wine that wasn't allowed to cellar long enough, something that Burning Love released just for the heck of it. The Black Widow EP is a teaser, and sounds like one, offering just the barest of tastes of what's to come on their much-anticipated Southern Lord debut, Rotten Thing To Say. The A side is taken up by "Karla," a piece about Paul Bernardo partner in horrific murder Karla Homolka, and the B side features a cover of Laughing Hyenas' "Love is my Only Crime." The EP feels very much like a jam, recorded rough and even a little bit sloppy, when it comes to the cover. The experience is very much like expecting an elaborate torture scene, only to have your tormenter half-heartedly make you kneel on some broken glass, spit on you and lazily call it a day. It's up to the individual to decide whether this wrecked, unripe EP makes them more or less excited for the full-length.