Though the release of Ex-Friends’ debut LP, Rules for Making Up Words, may not seem like too long ago, it’s always a pleasure for fans to get more music as soon as possible. Just months after the fall 2013 release of Rules, listeners are treated to the four-piece’s most recent endeavor, the 7” EP Animal Needs.
Bassist Audrey Crash’s vocals on the first song, “Don’t Do it Like That (Do it Like This)”, are a nice change from the typical male vocals you’d expect, but fit well with the style of the song. Former Plow United frontman Joel Tannenbaum takes over for the rest of the record, but there are some nice surprises in the next songs, too- a violin in second track “Real Life” and saxophone in the closer “Fadeage (City Inspector),” which gives the tune a bit of a ska-punk sound. A lot of parts in the EP are almost reminiscent of Common Rider, especially the quick rhythm of Tannenbaum’s vocals. The catchiest tune, though, is the silly “Word Police,” which also happens to be the most straightforward punk song on the record.
You can hear a lot of influence from Leatherface here, and fans of Plow United wouldn’t be disappointed either. It may not be a career-defining release, but Animal Needs is a lot of fun. This short four-song EP was released May 13 on Coolidge Records, and the band are nearing the end of a brief tour, with upcoming shows on the East Coast and the Midwest, ending with a show in Pittsburgh in their home state of Pennsylvania.