The Shortcuts - 30 Pack

Huzzah! As some of you might remember, I really liked the debut album from Minneapolis’s the Shortcuts. It was one of my favorites from last year, and remains so. And now, they’re back with an EP of new material. I was pretty stoked to hear about it. Of course, one proceeds to wonder, will it hold up to the self-titled album?

The answer is a resounding “yes.”

First of all, the EP sounds great. The music is a bit louder and cleaner overall than the self-titled album. According to the liner notes, it was recorded in their practice space, which goes to show that you can record an awesome sounding record just about anywhere with the right knowhow. The cover art is once again by Mitch Clem. The packaging is worth noting: the whole thing is folded up, with a little velcro holding it shut. Upon opening and unfolding, one is greeted with a scene of the band in a barbershop of sorts. Anyway, the whole thing is sweet.

And then there’s the music itself! Which, make no mistake, rules. I’d say the differences found here are akin to the progression the Gaslight Anthem made from Sink or Swim to the Senor and the Queen EP; there’s growth here, musically, but it’s not a radical departure from the sound found on the debut LP. The band is still kicking out great, catchy pop-punk, but the sound here is a bit more diverse; the surf guitar sound on “Omaha,” for example.

This EP is great. I would recommend it to anyone who heard even just a single song from the debut album and enjoyed it. Hell, I’d recommend it to just about anyone who likes fun music in general. ‘Cause once again, this band has proven to be really good at what they do.

The Shortcuts - s/t

I, probably like many people outside Minneapolis, heard of the Shortcuts by way of Mitch Clem, writer/artist behind the punk webcomic Nothing Nice to Say, and artist of many awesome show posters. He’s responsible for the album art, which I find fantastic. Of course, we don’t judge books by their covers, and the same holds true for albums. So do the songs contained herein live up to the album art?

In a word, yes.

In a number of words, this band has created 9 pop-punk gems, leaning more toward the punk side than the pop side, but still firmly entrenched in both camps. With the guitars going fast and furious for most of the album’s length, this will put a smile on your face, guaranteed. If it doesn’t, you probably don’t like fun, and in which case, I’m very sorry.

The only negative I can muster about this album is the length. Now, I listen to punk, so I’m used to very short albums (I’m looking at you, Group Sex), but the number of tracks is what gets me down here; only 9 songs? I guess you should always leave the audience wanting more, and the Shortcuts certainly do that! I’m hoping for a 7″ or something released in the near future, to tide me over. But really, is that much of a complaint to have? That I love this album and this band so much that I wish they had given me more music?

With any luck, they will bring some new music to the masses soon. I can hardly wait!

EDIT: I’ve let this go for too long, but I still need to mention it: the album contains a secret track! About 5 minutes into the last song, they kick out a cover of the Sealab 2021 theme song. It’s quick, and pretty true to the show version, but it feels like a great ending to the album.

Rating: 4 stars