As far as years go, Salad Boys might be feeling pretty satisfied with this one: not only did they complete a national tour with Williamsburg’s Parquet Courts but they also recently wrapped up their own tour of the Unites States. Similarly, September saw the release of their album Metalmania and now they round out their annus mirabilis with the release of this EP Scarce Tracks.
This is a great collection of songs; all maintaining the southern jangle and four-track aesthetic one might expect but each a gem in its own right: Opener 'Eighteen Forty Four' is an cheerful upbeat country-infused instrumental not entirely unlike something you’d hear from Salad Boys’ former tour mates. 'Devotion' takes a turn towards 90s angst that reminds you where Salad Boys hark from, maintaining a pop edge infused with that flat city introspection. The first song on side B, 'Best Kept Secret', is the EP’s standout. With its simple refrain and steadily building atmosphere, it’s a great example of expedient songwriting: The simple melody and lyrical theme haunts the listener for days - if not weeks. Finally, the plaintive questioning of 'My Uniform' buzzes and lurches along until the tension is finally lifted, only to be replaced with driven brooding menace.
Scarce Tracks is an excellent sampler box of Salad Boys music and a fine local release. It’s available as a download, but given the quality of the material I would encourage the purchase of the 7-inch, either from the Salad Boys' Bandcamp page or from Atlanta, Georgia’s Chunklet Industries. Suspicious promo aside, let’s just say this really is a great EP.
