2 out of 5

Label: Secretly Canadian

Producer: Dave Doughman

I hate saying it, because I love SAM, but rated in context to the band’s albums, “Along the Inclined Plane” ends up feeling like an odds and sods kinda’ thing, cast-off tracks that maintain the core elements of rock and sadness that work wonders on the albums but feel too rough here.  The EP gets off to a good start with “Small Town, Big City,” but suffers from a typical “Swearing” problem of buckling the song up once it gets going with some swear words and a curt ending.  From there on out some good hooks percolate through but nothing really strikes home.  There’s then an exhaustive mostly ambient piece as the last track that goes on for too long, not helping to leave a great lasting picture.  If you like the basic idea of what’s here – very bare, raw, sarcastic and sad folk-rock – you’ll be better off with a proper SAM album.  There’s are cast-offs on those, but the balance and sequencing is in better check.