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	//BACK TO BANDS PAGE Releases: S/T CD Tracklist: 1.Molsen Golden (MP3) 2.Showcase 3.Southwester 4.In Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lion Review: The Midwestern have a sound that makes perfect sense in light of their name: melodic, power-trio rock that evokes all of those flat, cornfield-covered states in the middle of the country. However, don⠬!"t be fooled into condemning them as sub-Polyvinyl indie-emo pastiche⠬ this is something else entirely. All three of The Midwestern⠬!"s members are very proficient at their instruments, and are not content to simply structure their songs around simple three-chord verses and choruses. In fact, three out of four of these songs are instrumental, which says a lot about how much work they⠬!"ve put into their construction. It actually took me a few listens before I even noticed the sparse vocal work; there⠬!"s enough going on in these songs that you never get a sense that anything is missing. When there are vocals, they⠬!"re sung in a husky tenor that⠬!"s a perfect complement to the warm sound of the guitars, which dance around the edges of the songs, playing sinuous arpeggios that offset rather than follow the more straightforward bass lines. Meanwhile, the rhythmic structure of the songs⠬ which tend to smoothly incorporate a variety of complex time signatures⠬ change often, sometimes so subtly you barely notice (for example, the slight acceleration in tempo two-thirds of the way through ⠬ SMolson Golden⠬�), and at other times so dramatically that you might be fooled into thinking a new song has started. Occasionally, the entire band will come together into a more climactic groove, but for the most part, these songs stretch out, taking time to explore different ideas and develop at a more relaxed pace. Even though this is only a four song EP, it lasts for over 20 minutes, and continues to reveal subtle nuances even after multiple listens. Well worth checking out.(RVA MAG)