Gluons ep (1983, Beth)

I was introduced to Gluons via a minute long clip of "Miami," a hyper slice of neo-punk colored with vocals a la Leonard Grave Phillips of the Dickies, married to a halfway-there Devo groove.  Not bad, though not quite crucial in my book.  Still, the price was right so I decided to give this relic a home (and the fetching sleeve didn't hurt either).  I was pleasantly surprised to learn than the other three tracks outdid the quirky "Miami" big time.  The leadoff "I Enter Your Void" boasts chilly, albeit chiming fretwork, and functions as the icy yin to "Miami's" sprite yang.  It was side two however that turned out to be the better of both whirls, peaking with the melodic post-punk persuasion of "A Room In Your Head," a perfect component of any left-of-the-dial, 2 AM playlist.  The Massachusetts quartet conclude their fine ep with "Your Manikin Hand," their most illustrative stab at pop craftsmanship, and wouldn't you know it, they hit the bullseye.  These lads have a bright future ahead of them, mark my words.  A video for "...Manikin Hand" follows:



01. I Enter Your Void
02. Miami
03. A Room In Your Head
04. Your Manikin Hand

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