Offering a tantalizing glimpse of what Love of Diagrams can do, their self-titled debut EP for Matador packs more presence, energy, and witty musical interplay into four songs than some bands manage on an entire album. Love of Diagrams collects two songs from the band's second album, Mosaic, a live cover of Pylon's "Cool," and "No Way Out" -- wh...

Offering a tantalizing glimpse of what Love of Diagrams can do, their self-titled debut EP for Matador packs more presence, energy, and witty musical interplay into four songs than some bands manage on an entire album. Love of Diagrams collects two songs from the band's second album, Mosaic, a live cover of Pylon's "Cool," and "No Way Out" -- which previously appeared on 2005's We Got Communication EP and on The O.C. Shades of post-punk's jerky rhythms and heavily reverbed vocals dominate -- can it still be called a revival when it sounds this fresh? -- but come into sharp, urgent focus on "The Pace or the Patience" and "The Pyramid," both of which were recorded with Bob Weston at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio. Weston gives the band an unfettered, punchy sound, allowing Antonia Sellbach's careening vocals and bass the room they deserve ("The Pace or the Patience"'s zigzagging bassline shows why this band is so aptly named). Love of Diagrams is a concise statement of purpose in its own right, but also suggests that the band is on the cusp of something even greater. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi