Don't let the new age-y package of incense that houses this EP's download card fool you: New Horizzzons are a psych-rock band through and through, and a gleefully amateurish one at that. In fact, if it weren't for its members' pedigree, the group would probably be dismissed as a goof. Former Canned Hamm member Robert Dayton sings, the Leather Uppers' Craig Daniels plays drums and guitar and cartoonist Michael Comeau rounds out the trio on bass and drum-sharing duty. Songs like "Building our Brand" give a good indication of the kind of prankster-ish culture jamming at work here.
But bands don't get by on clever alone, and that's where the four-track Trial By Fire EP falls flat; the title track is little more than a minute-long introduction. More indicative of where the band might be headed musically is seven-minute jam "Conviction," complete with off-key falsetto and off-time drums. While it lays the groundwork for future success, one gets the sense that this EP barely scratches the surface of what New Horizzzons are capable of.
(Independent)But bands don't get by on clever alone, and that's where the four-track Trial By Fire EP falls flat; the title track is little more than a minute-long introduction. More indicative of where the band might be headed musically is seven-minute jam "Conviction," complete with off-key falsetto and off-time drums. While it lays the groundwork for future success, one gets the sense that this EP barely scratches the surface of what New Horizzzons are capable of.