Selections – Acute

As a way of introduction, Los Angeles trio Acute offer up five Selections of their music for this, their debut EP, each presenting a very different facet of the band. The opener, "Follow You Home," is a vengeance tale wrapped in an adamant rhythm and furious fuzzed guitars and illustrates Acute's punky, new wave connections. It's bookended by its polar opposite, "You Want It? Take It! It's Yours!," a moody and majestic piece whose regal pace and heralding brass have all the pomp and ceremony of a coronation or, more aptly, a royal funeral, for this is a farewell song. "Saint" is less majestic than elegant, delicately laced with strings and a harpsichord-esque organ but with a southwestern tinge shading the lead guitar. "Guns" too is filled with picked guitar, but here it's twinned with an upbeat melody, insistent beats, and an almost dreamy atmosphere until the number kicks into punky overdrive. Incidentally, the weapons of its title are actually a metaphor for an equally lethal tongue. In a just-as-rocking but decidedly different vein comes "Take a Step," its infectious hook, blazing guitar work, and barrelling keyboards in an R&B mode make this number the obvious radio pick. Flawlessly delivered and beautifully produced, Selections' intriguing mix of styles, moods, arrangements and themes makes it a bit difficult to get a handle on the band's core sound, but it's sure to pique much interest in their upcoming full-length. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide