...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead’s five-song EP features a wavering assortment of songs. The disc opens with "Mach Schau,” a song that gazes back towards the band’s self-titled debut and their amphetamine-infused take on Sonic Youth. "All Saints Day” follows, honing the razor blade melancholy established on Source Tags & Codes, and reeling gently with insistent melodies. "Crowning of a Heart” also stretches out from the group’s last full-length, establishing lulling, mid-tempo tunefulness and resounding, re-tuned guitars. "Counting Off the Days” is perhaps the most musically straightforward ballad Trail of Dead have composed, featuring acoustic guitar, cello, and plaintive vocals. Disc-closer "Intelligence” was originally released on the U.K. single for "Another Morning Stoner,” and the tune veers from the band’s previous courses, offering pulsating beats and electronic static, creating a hypnotic cacophony. Some listeners may be frustrated by the lack of cohesiveness on The Secret of Elena’s Tomb, but the EP, nevertheless, offers a series of highly melodic fragments.