Maybe EP's always have a leg up on albums because less is often more to many (including me), but The Anatomy of Sharks may very well be June Of 44's most concise musical statement, and an aggressive, impressive one at that. JO44 take nautical lyrical metaphors they've danced around with before and head-on hit you over the head with them here; the three-song set opener, "Sharks & Sailors", is a jagged ride over dark waters, full with fast, math-y drumming, guitars that go from chugging riffs to high-sea melodies, and a climax that is the musical equivalent of a ship headed straight to a collision. "Boom" mixes tribal drumming and electronic loops with an impressive horn solo, the sound of being lost an a savage island. "Seemingly Endless Steamer" is a fast, dreamy, post-hardcore track, with very punk-like vocals. Though they put the funk and jazz experimentation on the back-burner here, it can be heard bleeding through some very cool rock and punk here.
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