All 5 tracks are new songs. The first one, Welcome to stop is a trademark 31Knots track, very mathrock, great chorus, some efficient songwriting. If you liked their previous full-length (It was high time to escape, reviewed here), you’ll love it. The corpse and the carcass is more interesting, since it features some new elements: strings, keyboards, electronics. It’s a great, complex, song although the complex doesn’t exactly lies in the stop / start, time signature changes they are know for, but rather in all the different elements as well as in the top notch arrangements. Excellent stuff, it remains to be seen whether it was just a one off or if they will use more of these elements on future releases.

After a short interlude, it’s back to quintessential 31Knots in their “pop” version with The story of Ivan Normal. The structure is simpler (although when listening carefully…), which makes for a more engaging, straightforward song. EP closer Coward with claws also features electronics, and is a much more pared down thing, with vocals, electronics and guitar. Great melody, very “stimulating” ambient / industrial back drop. Good stuff.

The curse of the longest day is a little short, but it seems to prove that nice things are on their way. And it’s quite cheap, so go for it!