She's on Top

Sic Alps followed their polished, self-titled fourth album with this three-track EP, which takes that cleaned-up sound in some quirkier, harder-edged directions. These songs have more stomp and swagger than the Beatlesque psych rock of Sic Alps, particularly on "Carrie Jean," which adds some suppressed menace in its dramatic dynamic shifts. Both the title track and "Biz Bag" make the most of the band's traditional leanings; at first, "She's on Top" seems straightforward, but its falsetto vocals and slide guitar tangents are equally weird and classic rock-inspired. Likewise, "Biz Bag" closes the album by alternating driving passages with frothy, double-tracked vocals that add a pleasantly off-kilter feel. Clocking in at ten minutes, She's on Top is a quick check-in with Sic Alps, and one that suggests they're already finding ways to complicate the sound they set forward on their last album. ~ Heather Phares