50 Foot Wave - With Love from the Men's Room EP

50 Foot Wave is a punkish hard rock trio led by Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses, solo). The last three Muses albums give an idea of what to expect, at least in terms of volume, but this trend of Hersh's is no compensatory gimmick; it's just a case of the amps catching up with the intensity of her delivery.

Not that I'm not looking forward to a second full length from 50 Foot Wave, but an EP is a well suited vehicle because small doses might just be the best way to enjoy the band. With Love from the Men's Room is a true sonic assault, opening with guitar squeals over an insistent rhythm and not really abating at any point. There's not a lot of buildup, but a lot of release, and no drama lurking beneath the surface; it's all out in the open.

By the way, With Love from the Men's Room is available for free. Hersh has been releasing it track by track at http://50footwave.cashmusic.org/, the final track having just been uploaded.