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Extended Plays or EP's are frustrating.
If a band has a new track they've just created, they may release an EP.
First off, the chances are the track in question is rather good or the artist is quite excited about it, so excited that they cannot hold it off for their next album and want to share it with their fans now.

While that is all well and good. We can't knock a really good track being released, I don't think it's essential to create 2 or 3 below-par songs just to justify the release of an Extended Play to accompany the leading track.

Nor do I think there is much of a case for filling 15 minutes or so on an Extended Play with remixes of the leading track.
It just strikes me as a lack of creativity and imagination from the artist.
If you're so anxious to release a particular track, why put it out amongst pigswill and kill all momentum the track may have had.

On the other side of the tracks, there's the case that EP's are a cop out.
When an artist creates a good EP or two in the space of as many years without releasing a full length album, it's frustrating for fans... *cough* Burial *cough*
It's either a clever use of anticipation, just teasing the fan with promising snippets of new material or just the artist feeling - 'compulsed' is that a word? - that they have an obligation to release something, even if it's a daunting reminder of what may have been heard on a larger scale; a full length record.

Negativity being spouted early, EP's can be done right. And last year I counted at least 5 examples of such. I usually stay clear of EP's unless they're from an artist I particularly like. They tend to frustrate me, or are used by the artists as a way of test marketing a new sound direction.

However, that being said I shall present you all with my top EP's of last year.
*I've probably let a lot of goof EP's pass me by, so it's 5 of the best from what I heard, not all that were released*

Hence;

Good Things Come In Small Packages; The 2011 Top 5 EP Countdown

No.5 Blawan - Bohla

Define electro music. It's such a vague description of a brand of music that incorporates so many different styles of music, using so many different production techniques.
Within the genre there are so many sub-genres with their own branches of sub-genres, which means there are no two identical electronic records.
So, this begs the question as to what the gold standard of electro is. What is the bar that artists must try and reach.

While I don't believe Blawan has set the bar for his brand of electro/house, he's created an interesting record full of odd sounds and an atmosphere that meanders the very thin line between lunacy and just plain old eccentricity.
(A trait which reminds me of my friend whom has just passed on, Howard the Duck. RIP buddy. )
First and foremost this is a headphone record. I never understood listening to electro music aloud. So many of the little things that add to the overall dynamic of the record are lost, if they're not relayed through headphones.
It's not a dumb AC/DC record, there are a lot of things going on in Blawan's music.

I see this record as a little like a restrained lunatic locked in a cell. Despite what may be the popular opinion of the 'lunatic' he does have something interesting on his mind that he wants to share, however the venom with which he spits it at you may turn any right-thinking person away.
If you persevere, you'll be rewarded with his knowledge.
He struggles to express himself, and his communication comes across violently and aggressively.

There are some sharp, harsh effects in this record, almost sounding alike really thick elastic bands pinging violently to and forth, layered with the voice of the man locked in the cell. Trapped and unable to fully get out. He can only speak through the thin vent of air he has been afforded.

Perhaps he's no man. The vocals which are locked behind so many layers of sound, are alike no man I've ever spoken to.
Almost extraterrestrial in how they come across. Unintelligible yet showcasing a certain human like state which is hard to point a finger at.
Perhaps this is what an extraterrestrial or alien is, just another almost human like character that no one can truly comprehend, although there is always the flicker within them that makes you think that one day the two can relate to one another.

When a Blawan track picks up pace and becomes more frenzied, that's when you can hear the artistic intent at its finest. Behind the layers of disturbed alien/lunatic voices and aggressive sounding beats, there is a talented artist carefully weaving the record together.
This is no more clear than on 'Lavender' a track which vibrates and crashes together with the might of high tide waves.
There is an intrigue in hearing the head-nodding lashings of the waves.
And, Blawan's EP leaves me with an intrigue in hearing what he'll do next.
Will we ever one day understand his message, or will it remain one of those things better not said.

No.4 Sound of Guns - Breakwater

I'll start by saying, I'm not sure I should like this record. It encompasses a lot of things I don't like about 'indie' music.
The whole laddish mentality of beer, cigarettes, leather jackets and footballing chants for choruses is here.
Don't get me wrong, I do like all those things, just not in one yobbish package.
Perhaps I'm a hypocrite, but there's a certain charm to this record.

It's not nearly as self worshipping as an Oasis record, as shamelessly clichéd as an Enemy record or as poorly put together as a Kasabian record.
I remember my college lecture saying of Kasabian that they;
"make music for those who don't like music"
And whilst I can see the psychology behind the statement, and knowing that it probably applies here, the band aren't the most technically competent nor do they trod on any new and exciting themes, there is undeniably a spark to this record.
Yes, Zane Lowe would have you believe it's the best thing since someone actually gave him a job in the radio industry despite having zero charisma, it's unmistakably good.

Stripping the EP of its two live recordings and retaining the three original tracks is definitely the way to go, and that's what I did.
All 3 songs are what you'd expect from an indie record geared at cracking the stadium sing-song mentality.
They're endearing and extremely catchy.
Not exactly complicated in structure, but I'm sure that's not what Sound of Guns were going for. They just wanted to create an EP with tracks that their fans could remember fondly and get behind.

I remember my friend was the one that put me onto this back in what, last March I think.
He's into his live bands and I've seen a few local artists with him.
Nothing special, but you'll be able to get a few beers and have a decent time.
That's Sound of Guns to a tee. They personify this 'local gig scene' full of young adults who sport stubble, ruffled hair, leather jackets and once tried to learn acoustic guitar.

I find it hard to hate on something which is as true to itself as this record is, even though third track 'Collisions' genuinely does have an 'Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh' chorus, there is a spark; a charm in this record that a lot of 'indie rock' bands could learn from.

Give it a listen if you're just beginning your path into musical discovery and you'll love it. If you're already well versed in good music, I still believe you'll be able to gain an appreciation from a record as simple and yet lively as this.
Whilst they'll probably falter as a band when they have to release a longer record, the duration of three songs is perfect for this group as it gives them a chance to showcase what they can do without drowning when put out into greater depths.

No. 3 Dowsing - All I Could Find Was You

I love emo music. There's nothing else quite like it.
At its core, it's technically astute and painfully honest.
Perhaps it draws so much unwarranted criticism from misinformed people because they struggle to display any array of complex emotion themselves and are just here to make up numbers on Planet Earth.
It's clever, thought provoking, really well put together and above all emotional when done right, and it is done right on All I Could Find Was You.

Dowsing keep it short and to the point here and it's never sounded better.
Each track tells a story, and the lyricism and accompanying melancholy melodies makes for an almost movie like scene being painted in my mind when I shut off all else and listen to this record.

They're one of the bands where lyrically, take what you will from what they're saying. This isn't Sound of Guns, there's meaning within meanings and how you interpret and receive the song is what you as an individual make of it.

One need only look at first track 'Driving' for evidence of this. On the surface it could be a song about a roadtrip.
If one were to look below the tip of the iceberg there's much more that could be going on.

Now, I could annotate this for you and show you what I think it means, or I could leave you to build your own impression of what Dowsing are trying to say, that's the beauty of emo music, it helps you utilize your own emotions whilst listening to others.

There is so much nostalgia for youth in this record as well as a penchant for a time that is long gone but still lingers fondly in memories.
Perhaps the instrumental breakdowns between verses of lyrics that are a signature of the band are to convey this separation between the past and the so-so present.

It's heart achingly personal, yet so relatable in content is All I Could Find Was You that anyone with the relevant capacity can relive their angsty teenage years vicariously through this record.
It definitely speaks to me. But as we've earlier deciphered by the prejudice many people have towards emo, it may not be for everyone. It's definitely not for those not in touch with their emotions.

I think above all this record shows that there's a beauty in the fact that those memories we hold dear from a time long passed, will never be recreated or duplicated. We can only hold onto them for what they were.
By the time, last tracks 'Maxwell' and the ironically named 'Joking/Laughing' come around, this record has done it again for me and has pulled me abruptly back from the stage of angst and confusion that has been sung about into the oh-so so-so present. Man, nostalgia is some feeling.

No.2 Jens Lekman - An Argument With Myself

Walking the line somewhere between GOAT and a mere parody is swedish singer song-writer Jens Lekman.
Jens comes across as a charming gentleman with a love of witty retort and lyrics that leave you wondering whether or not this is a clever spoof of conventional folk and singer/songwriting music or an unintentional re-writing of the rule book.

It's hard to write about Jens Lekman without being dumbstruck by how one artist can flip-flop back and forth between sincerity and joking around as often and as concisely as he does so.
Despite not possessing English as a mother-tongue, Jens has an almost unparalleled use of the language in his music, where he uses many clever metaphors, personifications and similes so flippantly.

I truly believe if Jens retained his sincerity which can be heard on tracks such as A Promise full-time, he'd be the unmatched top singer-songwriter today.
However, it seems as if he's adamant to match the beautiful melancholy he is capable of displaying with a class joker mentality for making witty one-liners which somewhat takes away from the seriousness of his music yet adds to the oozing personality of his records.

There are beautiful arrangements in his music, borrowing from a wide array of influences with jazz, reggae, country and even latin music being incorporated in inspired and unique ways.
Jens is almost schizophrenic in the amount of emotions and styles his music displays. Whilst title track An Argument with Myself is an amusing tale of one mans journey through a regular day in his life whilst questioning himself, which oddly reminds me of Barry Manilows Copa-cabana in an instrumental sense, A Promise is an outpouring of genuine emotions.

Every thing he creates however is laced with his great personality and is bleeding with character. No one could accuse Jens of being another run of the mill singer songwriter.
His voice is different, his lyrics are different, his whole style is rather unconventional yet it comes together so effortlessly and synchronised.

There are times where his lighter, jokey material makes me want to grab him and give him a good shake, knowing how much potential he possesses it's at times frustrating to see him squander it on trying too hard to be funny, there are other times where those exact same songs bring a smile to my face as his expert imagery takes you through another crazy chapter in his life.
He's the type of guy that could pick up the ball and run with it if you gave him a sitcom or a serious drama to play with. His versatility knows no bounds.
It's this versitility which should make him marketable to many different audiences and it surprises me greatly that although he caters for many different tastes, he's not discussed much if at all on this forum and across the internet.

An Argument with Myself showcases the full range of what he can produce, and it whets the appetite for the album "I Know What Love Isn't" which came out earlier this year. I'll close by saying that we'll be hearing a lot more about that one a little bit down the line.

No.1 Burial - Street Halo

Believe the hype.

Ever since Burial emerged in 2006 with his self-titled LP, he has taken the musical world by storm. He's an artist that has managed to gauge an interest in the darker side of electronic music like no other.
And he just keeps getting better and better at it.

No other artist manages to create the dark atmosphere as well as Burial does. Imagine walking home alone on a dark rainy night through a concrete jungle of dingy alleyways, flickering streetlights, graffiti stained underpasses and the only things stirring are your footsteps in puddles and the ever looming prospect that you're not alone out there.

There is nothing more daunting than putting yourself into this situation whilst listening to Street Halo. Burial manages to create one of the grittiest, shadowy sounds I've ever heard. It's music inspired by the claustrophobic nature of inner city life displayed in such a telling and real manner that you genuinely are put in the shoes that Burial wants you in.

As in individual, he tends to stay away from the spotlight and let his music do the talking. And it does. It creates this whole illusion of isolation and murky lonesomeness that is gripping to listen to.

Never before has an atmosphere been more vividly put together through the medium of music. The inescapable darkness that surrounds Burials music is a masterclass in how to tell a story without saying one word.
The vocals as always do not take away from the atmospheric noises being built up but add to the experience as on NYC, a voice in the night repeats 'No Body Loves Me' along with other chilling messages.

So eloquently layered and so incredibly well sculpted, every beat of the drum, every nuance plays a role of significance. Everything is there for a reason, this is minimalism at its finest. There are no unnecessary or wasted motions that usually swamp down electro music. Everything serves purpose, every little note holds significance.

Although the music is so dark in nature, it invites the listener into the gritty underground world with ease. I find myself returning to Burials music every week, and after every listen I leave amazed by how fu.cking awesome it is.
No words can truly do his work justice, it needs to be experienced to be understood.

It's dark outside at the moment, I might chuck on a hoody, go out and listen to this EP and just watch as visual and audio align perfectly right around me.