Well it’s certainly a way to grab your attention. The ridiculously-named Dinosaur Pile-Up may claim to have the most powerful EP in the universe, but in reality it’s not even the best EP release this year. That being said, it’s still a solid effort form the Leeds-based threesome that’s likely going to engrain them in public consciousness over the coming months.
Kicking off with ‘Summer Hit Single’, it’s an EP that takes the laid-back approach to rocking out, much like Weezer did in the mid-nineties with their Blue Album. In fact, the Weezer influence is so potent in the mix here, that ‘Opposites Attract’ could actually have been penned by Cuomo himself. Elsewhere, ‘Cat Attack!!’ is a light hearted, jaunty little number, which is delivered in a convincing tongue-in-cheek manner. ‘Melanin’ is a more melancholy affair, with a beat that plods along beneath the gentle vocals and guitar parts at walking pace, at times frustratingly on the brink of exploding into something massive, but never actually doing so.
Dinosaur Pile-Up are the sort of band people will have blasting out of their stereos at festival campsites this summer. They’re the sort of band that you sit down and relax to between the madness of everything, gently sipping on your festival-strength cider while gathering up the energy to head towards the arena for some more live action. With The Most Powerful EP in the Universe! they’ve styled themselves as a band to unwind to, and that’s going to be key to their popularity over the coming festival season. Dinosaur Pile-Up: Best served chilled.