The debut EP from Cut Worms, Alien Sunset, out Friday on Jagjaguwar, was a pleasant surprise to me. Max Clarke, the guy who is Cut Worms, has really crafted a few striking songs here.
If the title cut echoes certain mid-Sixties numbers from Ray Davies and The Kinks, the far more twang-y "Don't Want To Say Good-Bye" suggests both Phil and Don, as well as, oddly, T. Rex. Similarly, the aching "A Curious Man" looks to earlier eras for inspiration, while the lengthy-yet-lovely "Song of The Highest Tower" made me think of Girls and even Pavement, even as the vocals nodded in the direction of the the more vulnerable moments on Syd Barrett solo records. It, and the sublime "Like Going Down Sideways", are the clear highlights of this fine EP.
Alien Sunset will be out on Friday via Jagjaguwar. More details on Cut Worms via the band's official website, or via the official Cut Worms Facebook page.
[Photo: Caroline Gohlke]