Suckers – S/T EP (2009) [IAMSOUND] // Grade: A-

Despite it’s awful cover, The Suckers debut EP is one of the strongest and cohesive collection of tracks I’ve heard this year. Combining the Chamber Pop styling of the Beach Boys with the New Wave/Prog of Peter Gabriel & The Talking Heads allows the band to take the current Psych-Pop fever to a more interesting and currently darkened corner.

While often mentioned in the same breath as contemporaries Yeasayer (whose Anand Wilder produces this EP) & Chairlift, Suckers have a much deeper and profound melodic skill than non of their more successful Brooklyn brethren could ever hope for. While still full of the same charming eccentricities nowadays standard to Psych-Pop bands of their ilk, Suckers never rely upon them to drive their songs. They instead opt to put them to work under catchy compositions, accenting and tweaking the familiar until it’s new and exotic… all of which is prominently displayed on the EPs opening three tracks.

The album closes on the down tempo, chant inducing “Body Moving” which is being pushed as the EP’s lead single. While “Body Moving” is a good song, it is also easily the EP’s weakest. A very fitting closer in the context of this EP (or segue track on a full length), the song does not do the band any justice in whetting the appetite for a full length. It’s tone and style can be reminiscent of Arcade Fire, which is very unrepresentative of the band’s sound. I truly hope those enamored with the track look beyond it to the wealth of song craft the rest of this EP & band possess… Or hopefully their label wises up and starts pushing “Beach Queen” in it’s place.

- My Pal the Crook