Motorpsycho
Another Ugly EP

This is not another bad EP.

After all, from '92 to '98, the Motor did nothing but churn out a series of gems and a few remarkable masterpieces between albums and LPs, at an average rate of 3 releases a year. Then they discovered how to remove the nettles from beneath their backsides and, without a lively physical stimulus, they somewhat rested on their laurels. But that's another story.

More precisely, it is in the magical 1994 that we are catapulted with this excellent half-hour of music: between a "Demon Box" and a "Timothy's Monster", the Great Family finds the time to release two EPs, the monumental "Mountain EP" and the aforementioned one, last chapters for the Voices Of Wonder, a label from which our guys will have a stormy divorce. Thus, Stickman Records will be born. But, perhaps, that is indeed another story.

A golden period, without a doubt. The creative flair is at its peak here, the feverish desire to create and play is irresistible - and you can feel it. The absolutely sincere attitude and visceral passion that the guys put into their work emerge from the very first notes of the same title-track, an exemplary number of how indie mood can be naturally combined with a hard-prog touch (Dinosaur Jr meets King Crimson Red period, in a nutshell): Bent's tractor-bass leads the piece, creatively followed by Geb's artistic drumming, while the trusty Lars Lien offers us an enjoyable example of how the Wurlitzer should be used without appearing pretentious.

A fundamental theme is an ironic exhortation to submit to those who place themselves above us as Supreme Organizers of existence:

                                                 "mind your parents
                                                  mind your teacher 
                                                  mind your boss
                                                  and mind your job..."

Whether to adhere or not, it's up to you.

However, our guys know how not to bore, and indeed throughout the EP, they manage to brush against the most disparate genres, from the terrifying cover of the Kiss's "Watching You", to the melancholic rock with vaguely bluesy guitar motifs by Snah in "She Used To Be A Twin", perhaps one of the best pieces among the Norwegians' B-sides, to the acoustic dream-pop of the evocative "Blueberry Daydream," recovered from the legendary demo "Maiden Voyage" (but who remembers it?). Rather surprising is the quirky "Summertime Is Here", an original piece from the fabulous '60s written by Geb's great-uncle, Larry Lux, who lends his voice in a fun rock with a slightly suggestive lyric, if you know what I mean (Well, you know you're a big girl now/and you know I can show you how... cunning!).

Perhaps it would be wise to overlook the ghost track "Motorhead Mama", a tribute to Lemmy's mother, a jumble of stuff à la Motorhead that at most can amuse. Let's take it just as an unassuming playful tribute, shall we? After all, it's a hidden track. ().

Among all the EPs (and there are many!) produced by the band throughout their almost two-decade-long career, it is practically impossible to decree which is the best, due to the thousand nuances and inspirations underlying each of them. But if you happen to come across this rare gem, don't let it get away!