Start with one Jughead, add two parts Kobanes and a Russian agent, blend with equal parts black and white ink in an industrial paint mixer, and you get this octuple cocktail of binary nuttiness. Originally conceived as four separate singles, this disc consists of four essentially contradictory song pairs: Song one is “Love,” song two is “Hate.” Song three is “Never/Always,” song four is “But Sometimes.” Song five is “Happily,” song six is “Disappointed.” Song seven is “I Want It All,” song eight is “Or Nothing.” It’s kinda like Paul McCartney made a concept album out of the song “Hello Goodbye” (I should probably not say that too loudly, for fear he might get ideas). Alternately, I suppose it’s a bit as if the Buzzcocks made an eight-song pop punk EP out of the song “A Different Kind of Tension” (I think this EP and that song probably have the same running length). Musically, the band manages to take pop punk elements which are as familiar as your fingernails, then discombobulate them and recombine them in such wacky ways that they manage to create something that’s sorta way the fuck out in left field without ever actually sounding weird, which is no mean feat. Genius! Stupidity! I’m joking! I’m serious! Buy this immediately! Or don’t! BEST SONG: “Happily.” Or “Disappointed.” BEST SONG TITLE: “Love.” Or “Hate.” FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: The lyrics to “A Different Kind of Tension” were taken from the book The Job by William S. Burroughs. –Rev. Nørb (Mutant Pop)