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Even with only seven songs, the EP almost feels like two different albums. There are the introspective, guitar-driven songs of guitarist and vocalist Pat Kenna, and the more up-tempo rockers from guitarist and vocalist Dan Masterson. Diversity is certainly a vital element in sustaining any album, but the vastly different styles of the two songwriters clashes at times. Yet it also shows that they aren't just one-dimensional--a problem that faces many bands. The all-out wailing and high energy of the title track and the somberness of "You Don't Think So" are reflections of the variation in human emotion.
With a debt to '90s alternative rock and decades past, The Slut Puppies are also bringing back an element that has all but disappeared--the guitar solo. While this may be seen as an attempt to remember the prolific soloing found in rock songs decades ago, it serves to separate the band from most other modern rock music. On the opening track, "Come What Might," Kenna delivers a slow, free-wheeling solo and another highly-charged one on "She Is Not the Type." The blues-tinged solo on "You Don't Think So," bolstered by Peter Granquist's drumming, is another hint at a Led Zeppelin influence.
Kenna's songwriting provides some of the album's biggest highlights. "Come What Might," a song about trying to find what you want out of life, has a dynamic interplay between the rhythm and lead guitars throughout the verses with a steady bass riff from Nils Johnson. On "You Don't Think So," Kenna hopes for stronger relationships: "If you only knew how I feel about you now/ 'Cause you've got me so drunk with doubt." He allows his extended solos to express just as much emotion as his lyrics.
Masterson's four songs on the EP run the gamut from personal ruminations to partying on a Saturday night, with most of his content focusing on living life to the fullest. While certainly not a new area of artistic exploration, his songwriting abilities shine through on tracks like "No Distance" and especially the closing track, "Good to You." "Good to You" features some of the best work from the rhythm section, as Johnson lays down a heavy bass groove and Granquist keeps up the energy when it is needed the most (note: the band's lineup has since changed).
The opposing styles of Kenna's and Masterson's songwriting complement and conflict with each other. At certain points they are on similar levels, but the great variety and feel of their songs sometimes puts them at odds; it is not as fluid as it could be. Taken apart, the songs from Masterson and especially from Kenna have all the elements needed to make them stand out on their own. With a little more commonality among the songs, the band could achieve a much tighter, cohesive sound. Here's hoping for continued success for Bates' very own The Slut Puppies.