4 out of 5

Label: TVT

Producer: Ambulance LTD

It’s a shame that Amb LTD has split apart into different factions and been subjected to label issues, because they were, for sure, one of the more warm and developed sounds to spring from the New York thing that happened in the mid 2000 era.  I suppose, if further recordings emerge, will prove if lead singer Marcus Congleton – who composed all the tracks on this EP and is currently (as of the end of 2012) the only remaining original member – was actually a solo act or needed his group to keep his groove.  The rest of Amb has moved on to a super Killers-y band, and part of the appeal of this recording and its accompanying full-length (almost all of the tracks here were re-recorded for the full length) was the way the band stood just on the cusp of the derivative 80s inflection that bands like Killers had / have, but swung it back toward an old school Soho vibe at the same time.

As I often note, EPs can be the bee’s knees because – if recorded as full concepts and not just stop-gaps between albums – they can help a band distill their sound to its most desirable essence.  Such is the case here, as all of the great Ambulance LTD singles pop up on the EP as almost fully realized growths, just recorded with less polish than on LP – Stay Where You Are, Primitive, Heavy Lifting.  If you haven’t heard these tracks, they are such a grin-worthy blend of romantic, angry, groovy and rocking ideas that it sort of makes sense how the band incorporated more soul on the “New English” EP a few years later, but it works better kept in check here.  Congleton’s lyrics are memorable but, bringing that “on the cusp” concept back on, stick at just the right level of understandable and emotive and repetitive to make the mood understandable and the chorus sing-alongable, but the sadness bubbling through isn’t cloying or childish.  So why the loss of star?  Well, this recording definitely would’ve had me on board for LP had I heard it first, but there is a roughness here that, though charming, makes some moments of the songs feel rushed.  This is a band that was served well by a shiny production.  There are pieces that can be heard that were smoothed out when re-recorded that are sort of nice – some chimes, some rustling – but it’s a jangle that doesn’t quite fit with the smoother vibe of the group.

It’s a minor nit, and one I might not feel if not for the LP comparison, but there it is.  If you own the full album, the only real reason to go back for this is if, like me, you’re sad there’s not more Ambulance LTD stuff out there.  But since you’re essentially getting demos and one extra track (which is good, but is a more wandering song), it’ll still make you wish for more.