Whether you are of the opinion that new GLASSJAW material in 2011 is akin to the second coming, disappointingly overdue or even both, there is no denying the band deserve some credit when it comes to the way they’ve put it out there (even if they’re one of the few bands that can afford to get away with it). This six-song strong EP went out to fans for free on CD after recent gigs in the US and UK and it’s an absolute corker.
Clocking in at around 25 minutes long, the EP lurches from track to track in a seemingly perpetual mid-tempo breakdown. The electronic feel accompanying the littering of dub bass and largely melodic vocal performances from Daryl Palumbo may push a few buttons here and there with long-time fans, but as is always worth remembering from the New York outfit: they are going to do whatever the fuck they like anyway.
Not that it’s a finger up to the fans by any means, far from it. Viewed objectively, it’s a fantastic EP and a key point of evolution for the band. It genuinely feels like music born from love of art rather than attention-seeking or money-making and that’s as rare as it is refreshing. Whether Glassjaw come back with an album as fast as everyone wants them to is another matter, but this could easily turn out to be one of the best things released in 2011.
TOM AYLOTT