The John Punch Band

The John Punch Band haven't sauntered onto the music scene ― they've jumped right in. Fences Have Been Planted, Thorns Have Been Built whisks you off your feet from the get go with the stirring tempo of opener "Tippin' Boats," an effect that Ottawa band members Cory Thibodau, Chris Bradley and Dylan Roberts were clearly aiming for. On the other hand, "Our Lovers" welcomes you gently with sweet guitar plunking, as if coaxing your heartbeat to sync with its rhythm. Just when you're smitten and willing to let it lead you wherever it wants, the melody confidently carries you around on a series of breathless spins with the ebb and flow of crashing cymbals and Thibodaux's expressive voice, both soft then urgent, while the bass anchors you steady. Fences Have Been Planted, Thorns Have Been Built is a compelling five-track EP that reads like a tacit promise of a follow-up full-length album worth waiting for.