This is the second Ep by Plates from Buffalo, New York. I was a total sucker for their first Ep. Around the time that record saw the light of day, there was talk of a second Ep, but since the band’s singer had left the country for a year there was much uncertainty about its actual release. Everything went quiet for Plates during the singer’s absence. They had a pile of songs, enough for a Lp actually, but no one to release it. For a while it looked like the band was done for, but fortunately they've gotten back together now that the singer is back. This Ep is the first sign of life since the ‘Garth Butcher’ Ep. The three songs on this Ep aren’t too different from the Plates you heard on that record. They might actually be from the same recording session. Plates has an unique sound to my ears. Their songs are pretty slow with a heavy bass sound and repetitive riffs, but this is no sludge or noise or anything. It might be the vocals that make this band in essence a punk band. The singer’s delivery is a bit monotonous, but he sounds mean and pissed. There’s a lot of spite in the singer's voice. His lyrics are vague, but not in a pretentious or contrived way. There are great lines throughout these three songs. For example I love how their singer bitingly says ‘Little secrets… that I can’t keep/ and that’s fine with me!’ in the last song, which is probably my favorite song on this 7”. ‘Some choose to trust/ I choose to rust’, another line from that same song, is pure gold too. Plates sound beaten down and bitter about life, but instead of writing boring downer noise jams, they deliver songs filled with anger and a punk lining. I love this band and am looking forward to their planned 12” on Big Neck. Let’s hope that’ll appear sooner than this 7” did.

Review from Don't Buy Records blogspot

Scum Stats: 475 Units, Black Vinyl w/ Black Cover; 25 Units, Black Vinyl w/ Pink Cover (Spirlal Scratch Record Store Day 2011)