2 out of 5

Label: Shangri-La Records

Produced by: Doug Easley

I think the only release under Doug Easley’s own name – certainly he’s been a huge contributor not only as a performer, but as an engineer / producer across many albums – and it unfortunately kind of makes one wonder: Why? These two tracks are of an early Grifters, lo-fi noise pop vein (Dave Shouse is here on Love’s Next Show), and both have a similar structure of starting with loose, static-y noise before Easley shapes it into a guitar melody and some vague lyrics, sung with a light, nasaly vocal. Not bad stuff, but not very substantial as a single, not really giving an indication of what more material might sound like, or, again, why this needed to be recorded… except maybe that there was studio time, and why not.

And perhaps there was a legit reason, and more of a story behind the songs than I’m able to hear, but that all has to go into the impression it makes.