Still Life Still

Arts and Crafts' ubiquity inevitably ensnared Toronto vets Still Life Still. The East York quintet have made music together for over a decade, though only recently stepped onto the venerable label's moving walkway to ensure exposure. Given the band's reliance on glimmering fuzz, it's a fitting place to be. Co-produced by Kevin Drew, the Broken Social Scene guru's influence permeates the three-track EP, from vocal similarities to opaque guitar intermingling, especially on the title track. Other impetuses turn up as well, but none as strikingly. Lyrically channelling Graham Nash, yet taking his words to a theme park managed by a second-wave emo band (it was the best wave), "Aid" throws in a dose of desperation, while "80s on TV" gives its shiny constituent parts plenty of room to breathe, ditching the wall of noise setup. A polished snapshot, the EP has a couple of admirably bright, albeit not particularly original, hooks.