SLINT

Following the emotional onslaught of Slint's era-defining Spiderland album, very little was heard from the band. I've heard stories that making that album almost drove one or more of the members to madness. However, three years later in 1994, Slint very quietly put out this two-song EP, and fans of Spiderland and/or their first album Tweez will want to grab this too.

The first song is "Glenn", a title that thematically links it to the first album, which similarly named all its tracks after people (supposedly, family members of the band). Compositionally, though, it's very much of a piece with the Spiderland album. It is a mid-tempo, hypnotic instrumental that builds slowly in volume and intensity based on a simple, circular guitar pattern. The appeal lies in the crisp ensemble sound and the tension they create. It does not "explode" like some of Slint's more memorable pieces, but that somehow makes it even more foreboding. It's a very worthy addition to their repertoire, and no Slint collection is complete without it.

The other track is a remake of "Rhoda" from the debut album, and it smooths out a lot of the rough edges of the trebly, noisy original. This is a deeper, more mature Slint take on the song. It wasn't the greatest song to begin with, but it's still an improvement.

Fans are bound to be disappointed with this release, as makes for a pretty slight whimper of a followup to their masterwork Spiderland, just because there are only two songs and only one of them is new. As of this writing, nothing more has been released by this band since, either. Still, it's better than nothing at all, and as long as you don't approach it with vaulted expectations, you'll find plenty to enjoy. I'll give "Glenn" 4 stars and "Rhoda" 3 stars.