CD Review

A year after releasing their second album, Now Here is Nowhere, The Secret Machines have dropped a six song EP to hold us over until their much anticipated follow up arrives. With one song off of Now Here is Nowhere, an abridged version of “The Road Leads Where It’s Led,” which serves as the EPs namesake, it makes for a hard driven number to kick the six songer into gear. The one new original “Better Bring Your Friends,” jumps between pop and industrial, perhaps the direction the Secret Machines’ much anticipated follow up will go.

But it’s the covers, a mix of folk and funky originals that question whether the band chose their songs wisely. A heavy version of Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks,” without the Celtic mystique makes for a rough recording, while the Motown standard "Money (That's What I Want)" is given a long drawn out revision that makes it's up-tempo counterpart hardly distinguishable. “Girl From the North Country,” by Bob Dylan is long and drawn out and doesn’t let the Secret Machines capitalize on their cosmic beats and electronics, but intead makes for a nice “mood” statement. The EP keeps the interest in the Secret Machines intact between albums, but for sure they should have covered kickers from Blondie or Gang of Four, and let the Secret Machines natural sound fly.