This EP is almost perfect if not for Lucky Denver Mint. God, I hate that track... Together
with For Me This Is Heaven they represent the tracks that got leaped in with their following
LP Clarity. However, the tracks that didn't make it are worthy as well, if not more. The
demo of Your New Aesthetic leans more towards JEW's emo side. (Yes, they were very much emo
in the right definition of the genre before the new millennium) It's more heartfelt than the
Clarity version, whereas the other version features a more straightforward punk sound. Other
exclusive tracks are Softer, an upbeat gritty track that shows Jimmy in cynical way, and
Roller Queen. Now, let me tell you, this EP is worth getting for Roller Queen alone. It has
an almost ambient feel to it due to lots of feedback and a slow stretched song structure. We
hear Jim Adkins ponder about a lost love, it's hard not to get moved by it. It's unique in a
way that JEW never evoked that feeling to a song again after that. But it probably has a
whole lot to do with Adkins being the sole performer for vocals and instruments altogether.
it's a nice prelude to clarity, if you have not heard it yet. "roller queen" is one of those lost treasures, as well as "softer". the demo of your "new aesthetic" is drastically different from the clarity version being more slow paced and mellow--a quality the whole album has. track 1 and 2 are more or less the same as they appear on clarity but the other 3 songs give the album its own identity, meaning one wouldn't feel like they were just buying clarity again.
