4 out of 5

Label: sixgunlover

Produced by: ?

Ne’er stop, baby.  Kicking off sixgunlover’s Texas instrumental offerings was the perfect composite: Jeweled Handles, blending the bass rich sound of Paul Newman with the quick drum kick of early Rhythm of Black Lines.  A quick warm-up prelude on opener 999 Rupees gifts us the crisp, slick interplay of clean guitar and a deft low end rustle, and from thereon out – production tricks, time changes a’plenty, some Ghost and Vodka-esque drifting – the EP has us in its grasp.  Alas, where did this band go?  Even on the disc its a question, as the slim offerings – six tracks – give us an uber-compressed impression of an album.  It’s all killer, but the lack of filler almost prevents Handles from making a firm impression, skimming o’er all the different styles mentioned – expertly, not a moment off-beat – but it’s like a practice session for some ultimate jam that doesn’t get to arrive.

Although I suppose it did arrive, several times over, throughout the rest of the label’s output – on which I suspect the players of Jeweled Handles likely contributed at some point, since that’s how this label rolled.

Definitely worth tracking down / picking up if, like me, you tire of the Chicago / NY post-rock instrumental sound and want some of that warm, Texas goodness.