Friendly People’s debut, self-titled 3-song EP gives a concise taste of a promising young Cambridge, MA-based band. Their jangly indie pop is peppered with hints of Americana, roots rock and folk with vocals that owe a debt to Neil Young. The EP’s clear highlight is its opening track—their namesake song—“Friendly People”. It’s a tremendous, positive track buoyed by a horn section in the bridge which lends a mariachi feel. “A Lot of Work To Do” brings out Harvest-era Neil Young, starting as a plaintive acoustic ditty which builds slowly into a passionate electric number. Closing track, “Branches”, follows the same acoustic-to-electric path. As the song builds, it introduces tribal rhythms that are reminiscent of 80s indie-punk legends, the Volcano Suns. Friendly People are scheduled to record their debut full-length in March. If the Friendly People EP is indicative of what we can expect from this young group’s next batch of tunes it will be a record to keep an eye on later in 2012.--George Dow

I'm always impressed when I hear a band that knows exactly how, and when, to play their instruments. That may seem like an odd statement, but I'm sure everyone has heard those groups that feature three-minute mediocre guitar solos and a slightly off-time rhythm section. Lowman's newest release, EP!, reflects expert musicianship and a knowledge of that elusive art of knowing when -not- to play. The lead guitar knows exactly how to complement the overall sound of the album, while also recognizing when it is appropriate to wail for a few seconds. I particularly enjoyed the opening track, "Balloon Boy," with its Spoon/Ben Folds piano-driven influence. Two other versions of the same song are included on EP!, "Balloon Boy (reprise)" and "Balloon Boy (full length)." I thought that the full length version was the most dynamic, with an extended guitar solo bleeding into total chaos at its conclusion as the entire band enters into full-on freak-out mode. Overall, I found Lowman's EP! to be quite an entertaining collection of songs. If you like hearing bands that really play as a cohesive unit (as opposed to four or five guys separately rockin' out), you'll love what Lowman has created. --Daniel McMahon