New York, NY
(Midnight Snack Records)
“Straight-ahead pop/rock cut to 2-inch tape”
Brian Boggess Group’s appropriately titled Debut EP kicks off with something sorely lacking in most hipster-approved vinyl: a pure rock and roll number with an actual riff. Imagine that! “Indigo” quickly gives way to “Jack Knife,” a more subdued, tropical-sounding haze of surfy guitars, thumping basslines and a chorus that comes crashing down in waves. One of the benefits of cutting a 12-inch EP vs. a 7-inch at 45 rpm is that you can squeeze more audio information per side, and the sonic benefits of this particular 12-inch are immediate. There’s a reason 45 rpm audiophile pressings are growing in number.
Side B opens with “Mistress Anya Knees,” returning back to the band’s straight-ahead power pop sound, this time dealing with more “adult” themes, as it were. Imagine R.E.M. writing about S&M, and you wouldn’t be too far off. Again, the fact that this was recorded to 2-inch tape and cut straight to vinyl lends itself to a greater listening experience, the full balance of instruments is richer, as is the stereo separation in the speakers. Many modern vinyl EPs, most of which are simply taken from digital masters and dumped on a 7-inch slab of wax, don’t have the same presence.
All in all, the infectious grooves and upbeat nature of Debut EP make this record a winner. Highly recommended for fans of power pop, classic rock and ’80s college rock.
Recorded at Stratosphere Sound, NYC
Engineered by Geoff Sanoff
Assisted by Atsuo Matsumoto
Mastered for Vinyl by Joe Lambert
Size: 12 inch
Speed: 45 RPM
Color: Black